Black Sparrow
by Gabrielle Tremblay
Summary: Saving a damsel in distress is as good a way as any to wake from cryogenic sleep. However, when said damsel is the only survivor of a barbaric series of assassinations that threaten a nation, things might become complicated... especially when the worst type of people become involved. Post Black Panther, pre Infinity War. Bucky x OC x Steve
1. Set the stage

This will be rated for violence, sex in later chapters and possibly some very dark stuff, depending on my mood and how much I want to torture my characters. You've been warned.

(0)

The morning began characteristically bright and warm for the second month of summer. The palace had begun bustling with activity as early as sunrise and the city had soon followed suit, people gladly emerging from their homes into the singularly safe streets to conduct any business they had on that day. There was a light breeze in the air and the call of exotic birds could be heard distantly from the great jungles surrounding the immense city.

It all contrasted starkly with how king T'challa was he himself feeling.

The people he passed rapidly in the lengthy hallways barely received a glance from him as he strode along, his fingers periodically jumping up to his throat to pull at the tight, itchy collar of the fancy black dress shirt he'd chosen to wear that day. On any ordinary day, he would have been more cautious of his outward behavior, keen on keeping a calm, calculated composure worthy of a king. But not today… he'd spent most of the night shifting through rapports and interviews, listening to shoddily translated police recordings in five different languages, his sharp, dark eyes flying from one page to another in search of new information, of a clue… anything…

When he finally conceded, with an annoyed sigh, that his search would yield nothing new, he'd made his way to his royal bedchambers, where he'd thrown off his clothes and crawled into bed, enjoying the cool night breeze as it wafted in through an open window. There, he proceeded to lay, motionless, for the next few hours, his mind running fast.

Three questions kept spinning in his head, time and time again: who? How? And why?

The answers unfortunately eluded him, as did sleep.

T'challa stopped before an elevator, pressed the button to go down, and waited. His hand rose mechanically to his face, rubbing at his cheeks, which were coarse with stubble. He wondered how many days it had been since he'd taken a moment to get groomed and found he wasn't sure. His stubble felt like it might have been left to grow for two days, but he wondered if it hadn't been longer than that.

The elevator arrived, quiet and sleek, the wide doors sliding open soundlessly. Unsurprisingly, no one emerged from it at this early hour, so he stepped inside and pressed an unmarked button near the bottom of the selectable rows. He kept his thumb pressed to it for a split second longer than necessary, giving the switch time to read his digit, which in turn allowed him to access the floor it controlled. The doors slid close and he descended in utter silence.

When the elevator pinged softly, announcing they had arrived, T'challa's hand automatically leapt up to his throat to tug at the itchy collar. This time, he caught himself in time and forced his hand back down as the doors opened and allowed him into his younger sister's favorite workspace.

Shuri was, as always, bustling around with such grace and energy that he had to take a moment to simply stare at her in awe. If she had spent the night awake and working, which he somehow did not doubt she had, it did not show in the least: her demeanor was as sharp as ever, her clothes and hair fresh and bright. As she heard him enter, she paused what she was doing and turned to give him a critical once-over. The sudden twist of her lips indicated just how critical she felt, and T'challa struggled to not pull at his tight collar again, suddenly very conscious of the creases in his pants and growing stubble on his face.

But the situation was dire, and he was thankful to see that Shuri swallowed any snappy comment she clearly wanted to make, returning instead to the task at hand.

T'challa came closer to the observation table.

"How are you feeling?" He questioned softly. Knowing it was not directed at her, Shuri did not even glance up. The man laying on the metal table, his body connected to sensors that monitored brain activity, heart rate, blood flow and oxygen levels, amongst other things, sent a calculated, calm glance his way.

"Alright, I suppose." His bright, blue-grey eyes shifted back to the ceiling. "As alright as a guy can feel after sleeping for…"

"Eleven months, two weeks, three days and seventeen hours." Shuri supplied without skipping a beat.

T'challa nodded and turned his attention to his sister. She was working with delicate instruments, poking, prodding and very precisely attaching the heavy metal arm to the left shoulder of the man on the table, who was barely registering the whole operation, remaining stock-still as he stared at the ceiling. If she was causing him pain or discomfort, it was impossible to tell.

"How is he?" He asked her. She glanced up and caught the pragmatic glint in her brother's eyes, before glancing at the man on the table. Shuri sighed, setting her instruments aside for a moment before grabbing a pad that lit up at her touch, displaying a three-dimensional image of the man on the table, complete with real-time nervous system display and in-dept physical analysis. She handed the pad to her brother, who immediately focused on the brain activity of the ex-Winter Soldier.

"Physically? In top shape. He's suffered extremely minimal muscle degeneration during cryogenic sleep. Nothing a few days of training won't correct." She noted her brother's critical assessment of the soldier's mental activity as he stared blankly at the tablet and rolled her eyes in annoyance as she realized he had no idea what he was looking at. Shuri all but ripped the pad from his hands and set it aside. "He's fine. As far as I can tell. I've been running him on my hand-designed subliminal desensitisation program for the past ten months. You gave me access to the codes used to hard-wire him so I… soft-unwired him. Everything they drilled into his head to make him a…" She paused, glancing almost guiltily at the man, who had trained his sharp gaze on them. "To make him the Winter Soldier… I undid it. I was able to extend his REM sleep periods up to seven times the norm and used those periods to work in subconscious messages that were specifically designed to scrub him clean of those codes… It wouldn't have hurt to keep him there for a few months more, but considering the situation…" She shrugged.

T'challa nodded grimly. "And were you able to contact Captain Rogers?"

The doors behind them slid open, as if on cue. T'challa turned to see who had entered the lab at this ungodly hour and was not in the least bit surprised to see his faithful guard, Okoye, who strode in with that purposeful, feline walk of hers, her very presence filling every corner of the room.

"I actually put Okoye up to it, seeing as I had my hands full here." Shuri nodded at the woman in red, grabbing her tools to return to her task.

Okoye stopped before her king and tapped her long spear respectfully to the ground, nodding at him. She did not even wait for him to nod back before starting. "I've been looking for you." Her voice was a tad accusing. "I managed to contact Steve Rogers shortly before dawn and he has agreed to come at once. He's asked if he should bring others to help. A few of his allies have recently been… hmmm… liberated from the prison in which they were kept some time ago and appear to be available to assist us."

T'challa shook his head at once. "No. I hesitate to bring even him into this… were it not for…" He glanced at the Winter Soldier, who's gaze was now fixed upon the king, sharp and intelligent. T'challa chose to address the man directly, not wishing to create any unease between them. "I trust my sister when she says you are well, I do. But I cannot take chances. If something were to happen to you…"

"I could be turned back against you." James Barnes said flatly, his voice hiding pain deftly.

"You could be taken from us." T'challa corrected gently. "I promised Captain Rogers I would do everything in my power to make you better. That includes keeping you safe. Considering your extensive background, you are a perfect candidate for this entire operation. No one is better suited for this… were it up to me, I would prefer to send you in alone, because this is the sort of work that demands discretion. But for your own well-being, I would rather send you with Captain Rogers." Bucky stared at the king for a moment before nodding. This earned him a soft smack from Shuri, who was bothered by the sudden movement as she worked on his new arm. T'challa turned back to Okoye. "Contact him and tell him we need just him. Then send out a ship to collect him and have him briefed on the way. We need to get this in motion as soon as we can. Time is of the essence."

Okoye nodded grimly. "I'll get him myself."

She dismissed herself with a tap of her spear and vanished back into the elevator.

T'challa bit back a tiered sigh and glanced at Shuri, who was working on that arm, her brow furrowed and her eyes just barely showing shadows of exhaustion. He noted how stiff her shoulders seemed, how her jaw was clenched tightly and how she kept blinking sleepiness from her eyes.

"You should get some rest." He said gently.

Shuri glanced up from her work, her face uncommonly grim. "I'll sleep when I know our people are safe and avenged."

She returned to her task and T'challa found he shared her feelings.

He left his sister in her lab, returning slowly to his office to look over the most recent case they'd received, not three days past, in the hopes he'd find some sort of new information, a clue… anything…

(0)

He'd somehow nodded off, head rested against his arm atop the big wooden desk, open files strewing the entirety of it, because when someone knocked sharply on the door, T'challa almost leapt out of his chair.

Momentarily confused, the king cleared his throat and called the visitors in, running a mechanical hand across his face and noting for the second time that day how his stubble was slowly getting out of control. His eyes flew across the files and holographic projections of the cases he'd been studying, and he made a gesture to clear everything away, until he saw who stepped in through the large double doors.

"Captain Rogers!" He exclaimed with some amazement… how long had he dozed off? Surely, he hadn't slept that long? T'challa glanced out the window as he shook the tall American's big hand warmly, noting that it was probably no later than one in the afternoon. Okoye had outdone herself…

"He wasn't far." She said with a wry sort of smirk as she entered behind Steve and noted her king's general confusion. Behind her came Shuri and Barnes, who was flexing his new arm with unabashed amazement.

"Like I said, it's still a prototype. However, you'll find that synaptic nerve response is much more precise than with your previous arm." She assured Bucky. "That old thing was ridiculously decrepit… it's a wonder Hydra can even stay afloat if they're using technology that's been outdated since the second world war… anyways, I've managed to reduce response time between thought-to-reaction for the arm to less than a third of a nanosecond. You'll find that the arm is made of vibranium now, so it is much sturdier and will absorb almost limitless amounts of kinetic energy, which in turn powers it and can be released… here…" She grabbed his hand and turned his palm over in her hand to show him a spot that he could press to activate the energetic release and Bucky twitched slightly, looking intrigued as he found he could almost feel the contact of her hand as she touched the metal. Shuri noted his surprise and smiled most proudly, stepping back a bit. "It's not quite perfect yet, but I am working on a process that reverses the synapse-to-cell signal through the nanites and lets the kinetic energy absorbed by the arm be felt to a certain degree by the wearer. For the time being, it's more like the ghost of a touch, because high impact generates very high levels of kinetic energy, and I don't think even _you_ could withstand how that would feel… So, the whole process shuts down beyond a certain energy threshold."

The ex-Winter Soldier was at a loss for words, but was spared the need to answer by T'challa, who cleared his throat to get the sleep out of it, still feeling a little groggy. Everyone turned to look at the king, expectant and generally a tad uneasy.

"You've just arrived, I take it?" The king asked Steve, who nodded.

Okoye stepped in. "I briefed him on the way about the previous cases but did not cover the most recent one, and called Shuri when we arrived, so she'd bring Barnes here with her. The faster we can get the two of them on their way, the better."

"Barnes is ready to go?" T'challa asked his sister warily.

She beamed. "As ready as he'll ever be. I did my job, and the nanites did theirs. He's bonded and synched with the technology very well and has remained stable. We didn't have time to conduct the fight tests I would have liked to do, but… well…" She shrugged. "It's a prototype. I would still need weeks, if not months to be properly tested. We have days, maybe hours. Even if he lacks practice with the kinetic storage technology, we at least know it is fully functional thanks to it being the exact same technology as the one I used for your suit. He'll just have to test it in combat."

Bucky did not seem the least bit alarmed, standing stoically next to his close friend, so T'challa nodded thankfully at his sister. She beamed anew and left the room, most probably to get a few well-deserved hours of sleep. The king turned his attention to the three in the room with him, before dimming the light inside the office, pulling up a holographic image on his desk.

He sighed and began. "The reason why I specifically need someone like James Barnes and yourself for this particular mission is not lost on you, I suppose."

Steve shifted uncomfortably. "Okoye said something similar to the previous cases had happened in Russia… in Moscow."

"I speak Russian." Barnes supplied softly, but it was not hard to tell that he knew there was another reason why they specifically had been called.

They all seemed to stare at the holographic image, which showed a young woman of European descent, her skin pale, her hair a light sort of brown, her eyes a gentle blue.

"Even in this day and age, there are many places in the world where people of ethnicity are treated unfairly, often finding themselves in positions where they need to defend the color of their skin, as though they do not belong somewhere, no matter that they were born there, or that they grew up there. A reality in which Eric Killmonger did not fail to find the hatred he needed to try and make a change." T'challa's voice was not full of resentment… if anything, it was tired. But he kept going. "As such, there are places in this world where sending someone of African descent as a spy is… disadvantageous. Barnes can speak fluent Russian, and I have no doubt the two of you will be entirely capable of blending in with the locals. Thankfully, we have also made many loyal friends over the generations and many of them come from various cultural backgrounds. Russia is one such place, where we have had a very proficient agent descending from a family that has long been loyal to Wakanda and our cause. She's been strategically stationed in Moscow for a few years now, holding a governmental position and keeping us updated on the going of the presidential inner circle, up until three days ago."

Bucky nodded at the holograph of the young woman. "She's the agent?"

"Yes." Okoye toyed with the nanite bracelet she wore, and the image changed to show a grainy picture of an overturned, obviously destroyed bedroom. It was hard not to notice the few sprays of blood that had coated the bed and one wall, as though someone had thrown a thin splash of scarlet paint across the room. "Three days ago, Russian police were called to her apartment in Moscow after the neighbors phoned in because of a disturbance. They found the place like this, with no trace of her or her attacker. Both remain at large for the time being."

"You're sure that's her blood?" Steve asked cautiously. "That's… that's a lot of blood to be lost by a single person…"

T'challa nodded. "The Russian police were less than accommodating and they're still waiting on their own DNA analyses. They seem to have written the whole thing off, but we had one of our own head there and collect blood samples… a majority of samples which were confirmed as belonging to Lianka Zaytzev, our agent, and a few more to an unknown male who's DNA in unfortunately not listed in any criminal or medical database. However, there is some good news: we received a coded message the following day through a secure channel that appears to authentically have been sent by Lianka. She has bunkered down securely and alive in a safe house in Moscow but fears her attacker might find her anew. That's where you come in. You must go to her, confirm her identity and bring her back if she is in need of care. I don't know her personally, but all our files indicate that she is a stubborn, resourceful young woman with a singular ease at manipulating others to achieve her goals. If she is fit enough to assist you in tracking down her attacker, I advise you let her stay… elsewise she'll find a way to work around you."

"So that's our goal? Find the attacker?" Bucky asked softly.

"You think this is related to the other five cases, don't you?" Steve added, watching the king carefully.

T'challa hid nothing, openly nodding, his features quite grave. "I'm positive it is. I'm also convinced we're being baited into this, somehow. The first of those five attacks happened to one of our agents in South Africa, while I was away with my father in Vienna for the Sokovia Accords. At the time, we were preoccupied with other things, and thought naught of it, save for the brutality with which the assassination had been carried out upon our agent. Said agent was found in pieces in their own home… some of the pieces are missing to this day. The second case happened in Bulgaria. The violence with which the assassination was carried out was equal to the first one, and a pattern started to emerge. The next two attacks happened in China and Japan, barely weeks apart. The fifth hit our only agent in Venezuela, two months later. By now, we understood that the sheer viciousness of the attacks was used to goad us… to taunt us. Our investigating agents found nothing, and the police have no better lead. No two unidentified blood samples match any of the locations. We still have no idea who might have perpetrated these crimes, if they work alone or have been hired by someone else, how they have managed to identify some of our most valuable agents and why they have proceeded with such rage, other than to provoke us."

"Lianka is the only survivor thus far." Okoye added grimly. "She must have seen her attacker, most probably knows more about him or her than anyone else. The two of you, especially Barnes, are perfectly suited to act as spies in Russia and track down this mad murder."

"Have you sent anyone to check on this… Lianka, since the attack?" Steve asked at once, concerned. Bucky glanced at him, amused at how his old friend seemed hopelessly chivalrous, even if he did not mean to, whenever a woman was concerned.

T'challa shook his head. "We dared not send anyone lest they lead the attacker to her as well. The first and only ones to approach her will be the two of you, as we consider you should be capable of keeping her safe from any potential threat. From the moment you make contact, you must remain vigilant. If she is being watched, she will be in danger. Assist her or contact us to arrange transport for her back here."

"How do we confirm she's really who she says she is?" Bucky asked at once, all business. His tone was suddenly rigid, and Steve glanced at his friend, painfully reminded of the brutal training and torture he'd been put through to acquire his superhuman, soldier-like nature.

"She'll have one of these." Okoye rested her spear against her shoulder and used both hands to pull down her lower lip, revealing a faintly glowing, tattoo-like marking within the tender tissue of her inner lip. Steve's surprise prompted T'challa to explain. "Lianka and her family have been loyal spies for Wakanda for generations. They have earned the title of War Dogs, of spies behind enemy lines. It is not a common occurrence to bestow these markings upon one who has not been born in Wakanda, but it has been seen before."

"You will also greet her with the sentence: Where does a black panther rest?" Okoye pursued, gripping her spear anew. "Should she respond with anything other than: "Where the flowers glow blue and the nights are eternal.", you are to kill her at once. She is an imposter."

"Understood." Bucky nodded briskly, as did his friend. "When do we leave?"

"At once. Follow me, I'll fly you there." Okoye announced, turning stiffly to guide them to the door.

"Captain." T'challa called out before the trio could leave the room. Steve turned to look at the king, who was starring at them with a complex set of emotions furrowing his brow. "Be very careful. We are dealing with a powerful, violent and dangerous killer. Do not let your guard down and do not trust anyone."

Steve nodded stiffly, before following his friend and the guardswoman out.

(0)

They were outfitted with warm, dark grey clothes. Their pants were made of a strange, durable material not unlike standard military pants Steve had worn in the past, but with a singularly light yet warm feel to them. Their boots were warmer than any he'd worn before, and he was painfully reminded that December in Russia was not December in Wakanda… here, the sun was bright and hot, but up North they would be facing glacier-like frost that had deterred even the sturdiest of armies. As such, they were also given jackets to go over their simple, white shirts, as well as fur-lined coats, fur hats and a set of enormous gloves. Then, they were armed.

Bucky gladly accepted the charged Desert Eagle .50 calibre handgun he was handed, momentarily surprised that such an advanced nation would still posses such brutal, lumbering weapons. He slid it into the waistband on his pants, against the small of his back to conceal it, knowing it would be easy to access there, even with his coat on. He watched in amusement as Steve wrinkled his face as he was presented with the same weapon, politely declining it.

"You haven't changed, patriot boy." Bucky smirked playfully and his friend shrugged a bit sheepishly in response. He was eventually handed a set of gauntlets that wrapped around his wrists and could be extended into small, sharply-edged shields that covered a bit of his hand and some of his forearm. Both men were also given two knives, one which was strapped to their side beneath the heavy coat and another which they could discreetly slip into their boots, allowing them to have a concealed weapon that could be drawn in case of emergencies. It wasn't much, but it was something.

Besides, both of them knew very well that they were weapons all on their own. Everything else they were given was just an edge, an advantage they would have over whomever they faced in Russia.

Okoye flew them north in a small, sleek jet that used refraction technology to become invisible and managed to keep itself off radars and they were given the coordinates of where Lianka was supposedly bunkering down, in the safehouse in Russia. The flight was short, as they rose high into the atmosphere to travel faster, where air did not cause as much friction on the vessel's outside. Steve took a moment to fill his friend in on the past few months: how he'd spend a lot of time fleeing authorities, how he'd managed to break Wanda Maximoff, Clint Barton, Sam Wilson and Scott Lang out of the Raft, all of whom had fought at their side against Iron man and his friends barely a year past. The escaped prisoners had either taken to fleeing and staying low or had worked out deals with their corresponding governments to purge their sentence otherwise. Clint Barton had apparently politely told everyone to fuck off and had delocalized with his family to a place yet unknown, remaining adamant that he was retiring for good, this time. Bucky had no stories to share, other than the sketchy memories of a few cryptic dreams he could still recall from his time under cryo sleep, so he let his friend talk. It felt nice to simply be with him, near him… his memories of his past life were still somewhat blurry, but a few things had come back to him and he was hopeful that he'd get everything back someday. Bucky asked his friend if he'd reconnected with that gal he'd kissed when he was last in America, and naturally, Steve had omitted to re-acquaint himself with her, so Bucky took a moment to tease him about it, trying to lighten the mood. The bit earned him an embarrassed laugh from Steve as his face flushed a little bit redder and Bucky found himself rolling his eyes, feeling that his friend hadn't changed in the least… he was still the geeky kid from Brooklyn he'd known most of his life.

Laughing about things past worked for a time, but it was not long before a weighted sort of silence seemed to settle amidst them and they proceeded to look outside the jet's great windows, silent and slightly in awe at the immense curvature of the Earth. Steve had just witnessed this view a few hours earlier as he was flown to Wakanda, but couldn't help but feel impressed by it all over again. It was quite a sight from the high atmosphere in which they traveled, and Bucky found that he could not help but wonder if this was all a dream, too…

They descended slowly towards a world of white. It wasn't just the clouds, too: as they emerged from those, they saw the ground was covered with such a thick layer of snow that it was hard to discern anything at all down below.

In the distance, they could see the bright lights of the great city of Moscow, everything eerily reflected and prismatic in the buffeting snow that rose with every sharp gust of wind.

Okoye was careful to set them down behind a small crop of snow-covered pines as close to the city as she dared to get without fearing detection. They were near a road, so at least getting into Moscow wouldn't be tedious.

As the two soldiers rose, she handed them a set of odd devices, resembling sleek, black watches, as well as two slightly battered backpacks that could have resembled those worn by any local in the country.

"Wear the watches at all times. They're an older model of our own technology and will allow you to contact us if need be. They are less conspicuous than the bracelets we wear now but beware that we cannot guarantee their communications to be as secure as with our new ones." She warned heavily. "Both packs contain survival gear and food. One of them also has a first aid kit that Shuri herself assembled before departure and that had everything you might need to assist Lianka, provided her wounds are not too severe. She also took care to provide detailed instruction as to how everything works…"

Impressed, both men nodded silently.

"I don't need to tell you how important this is." Okoye added in a tone that implied otherwise. "Good luck."

Unsure what they should answer, both men simply nodded anew and stepped off the jet through the ramp that lowered beneath it. They hunkered down for a moment as Okoye lifted off and flew away, completely invisible from the outside, before straightening out and adjusting slowly to the bitter, biting cold of the air around them.

Bucky took a moment to rummage through the packs they were given, pulling out a pair of Russia passports which somehow had their faces in them, along with a brand new, Russia identity. Impressed by the Wakandans' preparation and foresight, he threw one passport to Steve.

"There, you're Ivan Sokolov now." He smirked as Steve stared in disbelief at his face, placed so deftly next to a name he could not even read. "I'm…" Bucky glanced down at his own passport and grimaced. "Andrej Volkov."

When Steve tried to pronounce his own name and Bucky's it came out with such a garbled, American accent that Bucky cringed and looked alarmed. The former simply shrugged, at a loss at how to say it any other way.

"Just let me do the talking." Bucky suggested as he pulled a wad of folded bills from the pack, glanced at them and roughly counted a couple hundred rubles in that pile alone and swung the pack over his back deftly. "Ready?"

"As ready as I'll ever be." Steve grumbled a tad annoyedly, but deep down, he was glad to be working alongside his best friend once more.

It felt as though nothing in the world could stand against them. Not anymore.

(0)

Alright. This is an idea I've had trotting around my mind for a long time now and I've gathered the inspiration to finally write. The big advantage here is I know how it begins and ends, so all I have to do it fill in the gap in between.

Note that I'm a student and doing a bachelor's in chemistry, so you might understand that I really, really don't have much free time. I tend to write when my inspiration is highest because otherwise, I'm just too tiered. I'll give it my all, however and try to deliver accurate, OC material, I swear.

I didn't mean to offend in any way in the part where I spoke of Russia's potential racism and as I'm not from there, I don't know exactly how the situation is. All I know comes from research I've made and a few articles I've read, which seem to point to the fact that Russian-born people of color suffer a great deal of discrimination. I also know that racism can be rampant (a region where I've been living in Canada these pas few years is attesting to that) and I want you to know that I in no way mean any offense to anyone. It is a touchy subject and not one I have ever really written much about, and if I handled it poorly for any reason, let me know.


	2. Lights

(0)

The pair traveled quickly down the snowy road, passed occasionally by a car or a truck that rattled by ominously in the bitter cold. Steve found himself increasingly grateful for his altered condition: he simply had no idea how ordinary people managed to live their whole lives in a place where the cold seemed to crawl into your very bones as it did here. Bucky, on the other hand, seemed curiously at ease, his head held high and his eyes continuously darting to and fro, always on the lookout… Steve found himself mimicking the ex-Winter soldier's behavior, understanding they had to be, from here on out, always watchful. The gravity of their mission was finally settling in.

They made it to the outskirts of the great city, where Bucky was quick to hail them a cab. He spoke to the driver in flawless, fluent Russian, seating himself next to the burly, bearded man, as Steve took a seat in the back without peeping a word, trying to hide his amazement. Bucky looked right at home: his period under cryo sleep had frozen him in time, so he looked exactly as Steve last recalled. His hair was still shoulder-long, and his face bore just the beginnings of stubble, giving him a carefully uncared-for look. Steve, on the other hand, had changed quite a bit: he'd let his blond hair grow out to change his appearance as much as he could, and he now favored a furnished beard over his usual clean shave. He could only hope no one would recognize either of them in this frozen corner of the world, and that they would blend in like nothing more than a pair of Russian workers…

The driver quipped something at Steve, who responded with a non-committal grunt. Sure… if he kept his mouth shut, they just might pass for locals…

Bucky directed the driver in a manner that showed he had previous knowledge of the terrain. Steve had studied a map of the city when Okoye flew him to Wakanda, but he'd mostly focused on the area surrounding the safe house where Lianka was supposedly hiding out. There was no way he could have memorized the city as Bucky seemed to know it, which led him to believe that his friend had at least some memories left over from his life as the Winter Soldier.

The cabbie dropped them off a while later in front of what appeared to be a pub. Bucky thanked him and tipped him well, but not so well that the man would remember this pair of taciturn, heavily built men. Steve remained expressionless as they both headed into the small building, Bucky guiding them and he kept all questions silenced until after they were seated at a small table near the back of the lightly illuminated establishment, and the pretty waitress had come to take their order.

"We're nowhere near the safehouse, Buck… what gives?" He mumbled at last, careful not to be overheard.

His friend was giving the waitress at the bar an appreciative once-over, which she returned with a shy smile and slight reddening of her lovely cheeks.

"We're throwing off our tail, if we have one." The soldier explained softly. He fell silent as the waitress returned to their table with a small bottle of crystal-clear liquid and two shot glasses. She gave Bucky a very cute smile and walked away again as the soldier poured them each a glass. Steve was not big on drinking, considering his accelerated metabolism prevented him from feeling the effects of alcohol, but he followed his best friend's lead, trusting him completely.

"Do you think someone is following us?" He asked at last, after grimacing briefly as the vodka drew a line of fire down his throat.

Bucky poured himself another shot, but spared Steve this round. "No, but it never hurts to be too careful."

A moment of silence passed, and they listened to the soft conversation nearby, coming from the only other two people in the pub: an oblivious couple that was speaking lowly, their heads together, and generally seemed unaware about their surroundings. Behind the bar, a television set that would have seemed right at home in the nineties was spewing an uninterrupted babble of Russian news, not a word of which Steve could understand.

Bucky poured himself a third shot and a second one for Steve, who drank it grudgingly, fighting with himself to keep a straight face.

"She could be bleeding out, for all we know." He finally said, not particularly at ease with this method of working through a mission. He was all about action and fighting… infiltration, covert operations, patience and sneaking were not his strong suit…

"I know." Bucky said grimly. "But if we lead her attackers to her, they'll get a very good chance at killing her." He rose, placing a few rubles on the table next to the half-empty bottle, and gestured for Steve to follow him.

The pair made their way to the bar, where Bucky exchanged a few soft, melodic words with the slightly flustered girl. She smiled shyly at Steve, laughed a little and nodded, before leading them wordlessly to the back of the bar and into the kitchens.

They passed an unobservant cook and were quickly ushered out the back door and into a tight alley, but not before the pretty girl said a few more things Steve did not in the least bit understand, her cheeks pinks as she smiled at Bucky. The soldier winked at her and gave her a cryptic smile, before she shut the door behind them, leaving them alone in the cold alley behind the establishment.

"What did you tell her?" Steve asked, in wonder.

Bucky smirked. "That we were trying to ditch our wives for a night on the town. Made her promise not to say she saw us if anyone came asking." He looked quite pleased with himself. "_She_ made me promise to come back and see her next time I want to ditch my wife."

The soldier started walking through the alley with a very determined step and Steve followed, a look of pure disbelief covering his face.

"You make it look so easy…"

Bucky snorted. "It is easy, golden boy. And it should be easy for you too… that girl barely saw me with you around." He paused as they reached the end of the alley and the street beyond, peering cautiously around the corner. "Give yourself some credit, Stevie. You're not the scrawny kid from Brooklyn anymore."

Steve grumbled something, but it was non-committal.

The coast was clear, and they set out on foot anew, their heads bowed to the biting frost and wind that howled into their ears, keeping to alleys when they could and making a beeline for the safehouse. Steve knew that alcohol had little to no effect on him, but he almost swore that he felt warmer after those two shots… or maybe it was just the climate growing on him.

(0)

They were closer to the safehouse than Steve had initially thought. Bucky led them there with ease, forcing a detour on them twice when he wasn't sure if someone he'd spotted was following them, or simply out for a stroll in this glacial temperature. It took around an hour and a half to get them to their destination, and when they reached it, both men fell into an instinctive, cautious stance as they approached the small house, which stood inconspicuously, sandwiched between a nicer, bigger house and a fenced graveyard.

The lights were off and it looked as though no one was there, or had been there in a while.

Bucky led them around to the back, his hand crawling under his coat to retrieve the handgun he'd been given, as Steve unsheathed the blade from within his coat, his face grim and tense and red from the cold. Thankfully, night had fallen during their trip and they had the cover of darkness to creep around in without being spotted. Bucky pointed soundlessly to the ground, and Steve managed to make out a trail leading in the same direction they were taking, behind the small house. He wasn't particularly good at tracking, a skill which he believed Bucky must have down to a science, but he could tell those tracks were neither very old, nor very fresh. They had to have been made a day or two ago, at most.

As they turned the house's corner and entered the yard, both men spotted slight, red dots in the snow. Lianka had surely come through here, unless her attacker had been wounded severely enough to bleed as well and had followed suit…

They reached a back door, which was slightly ajar. Bucky, now holding his gun in front of him with steady, trained hands, a finger slipping over the safety to remove it, nudged the door open with the weapon and looked down a flight of steps, which led to a second door that apparently accessed the basement. He glanced at Steve, who managed to make out the downward passage as well, and both men nodded at each other.

Bucky went down first, slow and steady, his booted feet barely creaking the rickety steps as he placed his weight upon them carefully. Steve followed just as quietly, his jaw set tightly as he kept his fists raised and anticipation high.

When they reached the bottom door, it took but a moment of silent staring and a few brief nods from both to establish who would do what and in what order. Both men were actually pleasantly surprised at just how naturally communication seemed to be flowing between them, almost as if they had not spent seventy years apart.

Bucky stared at Steve and mouthed a countdown.

When he reached 'one', Steve twisted the doorknob viciously, breaking through its lock and shoved his weight against the door, forcing it open so suddenly that he actually had to roll forward into the room beyond to regain his balance, all while Bucky entered right behind him, gun aimed and sweeping the perimeter.

For a nanosecond, it was as though the world had stopped spinning around them.

Then something moved like lightening from behind a nearby sofa and just as suddenly, Steve was facing the gaping barrel of a gun as it was pointed right between his eyes. He hadn't even had the time to rise and he immediately froze, his knife still held loosely in one hand, completely useless.

Bucky snarled something behind him, in Russian, which Steve could only assume was along the lines of 'Drop your weapon'. He hoped it was, at least…

The figure aiming back at them snarled something that sounded quite alike.

There was a tense, angry moment during which Steve managed to unglue his eyes from the loaded weapon in his face to find the person holding it. If he was hoping to discover a reassuring sight at the other end of the gun, he was sorely let down. He found himself staring at an obviously battered young woman with shockingly blue eyes and matted hair that could have been any color, were it not filthy and bloody. Her face was set with a fierce determination and boundless rage, her lip pulled back slightly into an almost bestial snarl and she was breathing hard, but her gun was aimed so steadily that Steve knew he'd get shot before he'd ever manage to tear it from her.

Yet she was shaking. There was no denying she was in pain and possibly barely standing. Steve did the only thing he could think of to defuse the situation.

He spoke to her.

"Where does a black panther rest?"

Her eyes had been flitting from Bucky to him and back, but they suddenly focused on him alone. Doubt shined within them, then sudden recognition.

She took a step back but did not lower her weapon. "Where the flowers glow blue and the nights are eternal." Her voice was a little hoarse, with just a splash of Russian drawl tainting her English, and just barely faltered as her very breathing obviously caused her pain.

At those words, Bucky slowly lowered his gun and clicked the safety back on. With unhurried, trained motions, he showed her how he placed the weapon on a nearby table and raised unarmed hands up. Steve rose slowly, setting his knife down at his side and mimicked his friend. The girl's jaw clenched momentarily, but after yet another brief moment of hesitation, she lowered her gun, activated the safety and set it aside.

All three of them let out a sigh no one knew they had been holding.

"Do you have the mark of a War Dog?" Bucky asked at once, refusing to take any risks.

She nodded curtly and pulled her lower lip down as Okoye had, revealing an identical, glowing blue tattoo on the soft skin within her mouth.

"You're Lianka." Steve said. It was not really a question. He thought he could recognize the young woman before them from the picture he had been shown in T'challa's office, even if one of her eyes was slightly swollen, a large, black bruise had formed around her neck, her lip was split from a blow she'd taken and her hair was absolutely filthy with dirt and blood.

"I am." She sounded gruff, which both men attributed to her obviously having been chocked with surprizing violence. "And you're Captain America and the Winter Soldier… of all the people they could have sent…"

It was hard to tell if she was glad or disappointed. The young woman seemed utterly exhausted and on the verge of passing out as she limped towards one of the two sofas in the small room, into which she simply collapsed. Steve and Bucky were next to her at once and while the latter started rummaging through their packs for the first aid kit, the former took a moment to asses the girl's situation.

Her bright eyes were half-shut and her breathing was labored. Her reaction to their intrusion had obviously exhausted what little strength she had left. He looked her over and noted at once that she was oozing copious amounts of blood from a very deep wound to her thigh, beneath a wad of gauze and bandages that had come loose in their short bout.

She noticed his concern with a shrug. "He stabbed me. Cut the artery. I would have died, but I managed to pinch it shut… must have opened again just now…" Was her tone slightly accusing? Again, it was hard to tell.

Steve realised he had never really been in a position to deliver critical first aid in a competent manner. He glanced at Bucky, who had retrieved the kit prepared for them by Shuri and the soldier gestured his friend away dismissively. Obviously, he'd had the necessary training to do this sort of thing…

Steve stood and decided to keep watch, letting his friend tend to the girl. He instead walked around the room, checking through the high windows to see if anyone was outside and explored the adjacent rooms rapidly. They were all empty save for a little bit of sparse furniture, and dust coated everything, indicating that no one had been here in quite a while.

Bucky had fished a small flashlight from the pack and handed it to the girl, who took it into trembling, blood-stained hands. "Hold it steady." He said softly, gently. He hadn't yet seen the extent of her wounds, but it was no secret she had endured pain that would have left most human beings completely void. He had to admit there was something very compelling and ferocious in those dashing blue eyes of hers.

Since she'd spoken of being stabbed in the thigh, and he could indeed see blood seeping from beneath her slightly torn and very dirty dress pants, he chose to start there.

"What happened, exactly?" Bucky asked as he seized a set of angled scissors from the first aid kit and began cutting into her pants deftly, removing everything around the wound to asses the damage. He ended up cutting the whole pant leg off and pulled it down to expose the ugly incision, along with most of her leg. He was quick to note the hardness of muscles beneath her skin, as she appeared to be almost abnormally toned… had she received special training? He could not recall anything of the sort in the report he`d received about her.

Lianka grimaced. "You mean in general, or the stabbing…?"

"Start with the stabbing."

She held the light steady as they both stared at the deep gash in her leg. It was not spurting blood, which was as good a sign as any, meaning the artery had not completely opened. However, Bucky noted grimly that the tissue around the short cut was a jarring sort of red when he wiped some of the blood away, which was a clear sign of inflammation and possibly infection. He hoped Shuri had packed something for that…

"He came at me in my apartment." She stopped as he touched the wound gingerly, pulling at the sides to see if he could spot the artery within. The skin was taunt and the muscle had been cut very cleanly and deeply, so he could perhaps hope to reach it. Bucky felt her shake on the couch as she held her breath and allowed the pain to pass over her, but he found, with some surprise, that the hand she used to hold the flashlight barely moved at all. This girl was made of some stern stuff. Perhaps it was the Russian in her. "I can defend myself, but he was… bigger… stronger… he…" She clenched her teeth as Bucky pulled as much at the wound as he could, still searching. "He caught me off guard. Hit me and tried to choke me. I pulled away, but he managed to stab me right in the leg. Left his knife there though, so I pulled it out and think I managed to stab him in the flank, but I'm not sure… I ran… there was… so much blood… thank God it was not a serrated blade, or I would have died…"

He couldn't see anything in there, and she was still bleeding profusely. As Bucky looked up, he saw just how pale she was, her face ashen and her breathing labored. He knew he had to act fast.

"Steve, come here and apply pressure to this. I need to see what exactly is in that kit."

He had pulled out several gauze pads and handed them to his friend, who had returned after assessing the presence of more bloody gauze near the other sofa. He felt that he could at least do this right, pressing the white material hard into the girl's thigh. She bit back a cry of pain and her hand finally faltered, the light going down… Steve grabbed it and took over flashlight duty as she closed her eyes and trembled violently, sitting back into the sofa.

Meanwhile, Bucky opened the kit fully and gazed in some awe at the organized syringes, needles and IV bags he found there, all of which had a neat little label on them with a concise description of what they were meant to do. He recognized that his topmost priority was to stop the bleeding, so he took each of the syringes in turn, reading over their description rapidly. The first was an antibiotic, to be administered intramuscularly and two more such syringes were available. He set all three aside for later and read another one: it was a hormone meant to stimulate red blood cell production, to be injected intramuscularly to the stomach. He set that aside too and grabbed a third one. It read: 'Cauterizing nanites, high dosage. Inject at site of hemorrhaging. Will cause severe discomfort'. There were two more such needles in there, but he figured he'd start with a single dose.

"You're not going to like this, doll." He said softly as he pulled the cap off the long, sharp needle and positioned it right next to the stab wound, near where Steve was still pressing down on that rapidly reddening gauze. He aimed it so it would go sideways into her thigh and towards the obviously damaged artery and pushed it into her skin without eliciting so much as groan from her. Then, he pressed down steadily on the depressor.

The injection had just barely begun entering her body that they got a reaction from her. Lianka's eyes flew open at once as she sat up violently, gasping, but Steve was quick to push her back into the couch, forcing her to remain immobile by pressing his free arm against her upper chest as strongly as he dared. One of her hands grasped Bucky's wrist in a vicelike grip and he almost jumped out of his skin at the touch: she'd grasped his metal arm, and he had actually felt it, forgetting for a moment that he now could… With her other hand, she seized Steve's coat, all nails out. Bucky was about to hush her, worried that a scream would prompt neighbors to call for help, but he saw with some amazement that the girl simply bowed her head, stifling a sob-like groan and clenched her teeth so tight he heard them grate.

The injection seemed to take for ever. Not once did she let out anything more than a chocked gasp. Bucky thought he saw a tear or two stream down her cheeks, drawing lines in the dirt of her pale face, but he said nothing. When the syringe was finally empty and he pulled it out slowly, pressing a ball of cotton to the slight wound it left behind, the girl finally released both him and Steve and went limp against the couch, eyes shut and breathing in short sighs.

With Bucky's approval, Steve slowly lifted the gauze from her leg. It was ill-advised to remove padding from a wound, but they had to see if it was still bleeding…

The gash was still there and still inflamed, but there was no more blood flowing from it. Bucky sighed, relieved and likewise impressed by this surprizing technology. He wondered if the nanites would work on shutting the stab wound as well, but decided to clean it up and stitch it, just in case they didn't. He washed it out with a sterile solution from the kit, making sure to flush out any contaminants, and pinched the sides of the clean cut together deftly, before using a medical stapling gun from the kit to stich the wound together with metal pins. Lianka twitched every time the metal hit her flesh, but she kept mercifully silent. When that was done, Bucky pressed fresh gauze pads against the wound and bandaged it up tightly all around her thigh.

The first aid kit also contained a bag of saline solution which, if the label upon it was to be believed, contained a mixture of chemicals meant to help with tissue regeneration and replace loss of blood. By this point, Lianka had half-opened her eyes and was saying nothing and resisting nothing, but following his every move with amazing sharpness, those ice-like eyes never missing a thing. Bucky took her forearm and looked around for a vein, which was in no manner an ordeal: the flesh on her inner arms was so ghastly that it was more than easy to find a suitable vein. She did not even flinch when the thick needle found its way into her skin, but at this point neither Bucky nor Steve were surprised: she'd shown remarkable resilience thus far… Bucky placed the IV bag above her on the sofa and let the fluid within slowly find its way into her body.

"How are you feeling?" Steve finally asked, still very concerned.

She scoffed weakly. "Fucking great…"

"If you want, we can call for someone from Wakanda to come pick you…"

"No." She growled. Both men glanced at each other. Neither was surprised by her reaction, given what they had been told about her and what they had seen so far, but they also wondered this: would she be a hinderance to them if they allowed her to stay? She must have caught their look and understood its meaning, because she continued. "I cannot go now, whether you want me to stay or not. I don't think I can move. And if you try and lumber me around like a sack of _kartofel_, we will be spotted and killed, most likely. I am sure you have what you need to help me get on my feet in that little kit of yours… give me a day to heal, two at most… if I cannot care for myself by then, you can send me off. But only then."

She was in no position to make any threats or deals, but she did not care. And that ferocious glint in her eyes… it prompted both men to glance at each other and exchange silently… could they stay here a couple days? They had food… but what if someone came to attack? Well, they were both super-soldiers… What if her condition worsened? They could always call for Wakanda's help then…

She saw them hesitating. "You need me." She assured, putting as much conviction into her voice as she could. "I can bait him… you will not be able to find him so easily… but he will come for me again, you can be sure of it."

In the end, they nodded slowly, agreeing.

Lianka sighed. "Thank you. I want to… I need to get back at that bastard myself. The nerve…"

"Right." Bucky said, reaching for the syringe containing the antibiotic. "You were saying that you fled after you were attacked… who exactly attacked you? And how did you manage to stop your artery from bleeding out?"

"I told you: I pinched my artery shut." When he glanced at her with disbelief, she shrugged, wincing slightly. "What? You think I have survived all these years as a spy for Wakanda by fainting every time someone tried to attack me? I reached into the gap left by the knife when I managed to rest for a moment, I found the artery and I held it shut until it sealed… which might be why the wound is infecting… I think my hand was very dirty…"

Steve could not hide the amazement on his face. If he still had any doubts about how insane this woman was, he had them no more… he didn't think anyone would have the inner strength to literally reach into an open wound and rummage around until they would a gushing vessel. Then again, neither did Bucky. He'd done it before on himself, sure, but he was an augmented soldier… he positioned the antibiotic and slowly injected that too, but in her other thigh as to give the wounded one a break.

Lianka seemed almost amused at their reaction. "_Mudak_ tried to choke me to death… when I slipped free, he threw a few punches… hit me on the face and in the ribs, but I don't think anything is broken." Yet her breathing was still labored, and Bucky wondered if she wasn't glossing over her wounds to convince them she was in better shape than she looked.

"Did you know him? What did he look like?" Steve asked gently as Bucky grabbed the injection that was meant to stimulate red blood cell regeneration.

"I did." She said bitterly. "We'd been seeing each other for a little while, a few months… I thought I knew him… but I think he somehow knew I was a spy. He took his time, we got to know each other… or so I thought." She sighed angrily. "Stupid girl." She growled at herself in an undertone. Bucky gestured at her to lift her shirt and expose her stomach, which she did without hesitation. The third needle was a short one, meant to be injected into the topmost layer of abdominal muscles. He found that he had to hold it back a bit, because there was apparently nothing _but_ abdominal muscle on that woman's stomach. Every part of her he had examined thus far was hard and strong, belonging to someone who worked out ferociously, daily. Perhaps it was indeed not a wonder that she survived as long as a spy and had managed to flee her assailant. Bucky figured that if this girl was even somewhat trained in combat, she could have held her own again the Black Widow if push had come to shove.

He grabbed a fourth needle from the kit, curious as to what it contained, seeing as he hadn't even checked it yet. It read: numbing agent; inject before cauterizing nanites.

He set it down without a word, his face a mask, briefly wondering why it had been placed in _that_ order within the kit. Nonetheless…

"He is Russian, or at least he said he was." Lianka continued, thankfully oblivious. "He called himself Liev Dovanoff. He was tall, around six feet, with short dark hair and grey eyes. Told me he worked as a translator in the Russian embassy in London. I'll admit that I saw in him the potential for a recruit and a set of ears in London… never thought I'd be the one to get played." She looked disappointed in herself. "I am better than this…" She whispered dejectedly.

Neither men knew what to say.

"Do you think he worked with others? For an organisation, perhaps?" Steve asked.

She shook her head. "I have no idea. Like I said, he was not who I thought he was…" She seemed utterly exhausted. "I swear… as soon as I am better, we can talk about baiting him out."

Bucky was looking at her critically, taking in the bruise on her throat, her swollen eye and lip, the general greyish tint of her skin... "Sorry doll, but… I'm willing to wait two days for you to get your footing back, but you'll be in no condition to do anything for a couple weeks, I think."

Lianka scoffed at him gently. "They have not told you, in Wakanda?" When both men sent her confused glances, she grimaced. "Of course they have not… but then again, I _was_ hoping they did not know. It seems they don't…" She turned her blue eyes away, tired and somewhat sad. It took a moment for her to speak again. "They must have told you how my family has been loyal to them for generations. How we are War Dogs, such a high honor… but they have not told you that my parents have died, years ago, in their service… how I was left alone here and how they could not help me because of the tightness of Russian security, but how they also did not want to bring me to Wakanda and lose the agent I was here… they left me alone. I was… afraid. This is not a kind world and it is all the more terrible for a woman who must parade behind enemy lines, pretending to be no more than a brainless courtesan… so I decided to become strong, so that the fear would go away." She raised the hand that did not have the IV attached to it and flexed her fingers. The muscles on her forearm moved like wound springs beneath her skin and her hand curled into a tight fist that was obviously as hard as iron. She glanced right at Steve. "There was a drug, on the _cherny rynok_… they said it came from America… a serum, like the one used to make Captain America." Steve's jaw clenched. He understood where this was going… but how was she still alive, if she'd taken it? So many had perished when Hydra tried to augment them…

Lianka answered his unspoken question bitterly. "It was not the same serum, it was a weaker dose… but it worked. I became stronger, faster… my body healed better. I took it more than once and each time, I felt better… until a friend of mine, a very dear friend, was given a counterfeit dose and I… I saw him die, right in front of me." The young woman seemed shattered. "I stopped. But my body has never returned to how it was before…"

Bucky had sat back on his haunches, listening to her story carefully: he'd at least spotted from the start that there was something unnatural about her… so, she was a little bit like them… the knowledge left him feeling strangely lonely. However, if what she was telling them was true, she could indeed be potentially healed within a couple days. He briefly recalled some nasty bouts he'd gone through when he was on missions as the Winter Soldier, the memories a tad unclear, but he remembered that he would bunker down in a spot he considered safe and wait for a few days, giving his rapid metabolism the time it needed to heal even the most serious of injuries. Bucky glanced at Steve, who returned to gaze… both were thinking along the same lines.

"Alright, then." Steve eventually conceded, nodding. "Rest. Let's see how you feel tomorrow, okay?" She nodded gratefully. "Are you hungry? We could make something to eat…"

"Yes, but not now. I would rather sleep for a time."

Bucky looked around and spotted a thin, dusty blanket on the other couch, along with a small pillow. He reached over and grabbed both, noting they were dotted in blood… Lianka had probably slept in them while she waited here. He handed her both and she immediately curled into the sofa gingerly, sighing with content and exhaustion as her head came to rest on the pillow.

"There is a kitchen in the next room." She whispered, her eyes already drooping. "Make yourselves at home, but be careful: no one thinks there is anyone here…"

The soldiers did not answer, as she had obviously drifted off to sleep right at the end of her sentence.

(0)

Feel free to review! I love getting feedback. To everyone who follows and favorites this story, thank you so much! Hope you like this chapter!


	3. Camera

EndlessGalaxies, thank you for your review! Strap in, because I have so crazy plans for these OCs!

April2016, Thank you! I'll try and update as quickly as possible!

NOTE: I have literally gone out and bought an 80$ cover for my tablet just so I can write fanfics on my 1.5h commute morning and evening to and from school. If that isn't dedication, I don't know what is. Especially because I am paranoid as hell and don't want anyone reading over my shoulder, because by God, there are some passages in here I REALLY don't want prefect strangers to stumble on.

Enjoy!

(0)

Steve and Bucky headed to the kitchen once Lianka had fallen asleep, where they proceeded to boil up some water over the small gas stove for coffee and for two of the dehydrated bags of food that had been packed for their journey. They ate mostly in silence, both pensive. It wasn't hard to tell that each was wondering just how all of this would play out: would the girl truly heal in just two days' time? Would baiting her attacker work? More importantly: was in smart to send her out in her weakened state to bait said attacker? Was it wiser to send her back to Wakanda and investigate all this on their own? What should their next move be?

They quietly consulted with one another over these questions but found no sure answer. When they were done, both men headed to the living room to check up on Lianka : she was sleeping very soundly, curled under those blood-spotted blankets, her brow furrowed slightly. Bucky walked up to her quietly and placed his human hand upon her forehead. At the touch, her eyes split open as though she hadn't even been sleeping, coming to rest, hard and unyielding, upon him. It took but a moment for the girl to recognize him and her eyes immediately shut anew as she sighed in relief and fell back into slumber. Bucky felt the unnatural warmth of her skin : she was running a slight fever and he couldn't blame her for falling right back asleep. However, he was somewhat taken aback at how aware she was of her surroundings : a simple touch was more than enough to pull her out of slumber, and the way she woke indicated that she was always on alert, always analysing… Bucky found he could relate. It was an exhausting way to live, but in the line of work of a spy or assassin, it was the only way to live.

He turned to Steve. « I'm going to go out and scout her apartment, see if I can find a lead while the tracks are relatively fresh. I'll grab us something to eat too, if I can. Some clothes for her as well… she can't run around like that once we're out of here. »

Steve nodded. « Be careful. »

Bucky smiled and rolled his eyes at his friend as he picked up the gun he'd previously put down on a nearby table, tucking it back into the waist of his pants. He got dressed in his warm coat and hat, before pulling on his pack, which was now lighter without the first aid kit in it. « Keep an eye on her. I'll try and send out a message to Wakanda and let them know where we stand. »

With that, the Winter Soldier was gone like a ghost through the only door leading into the basement.

For a moment, Steve felt a bit jealous of the fact that his friend could so easily operate in this unfamiliar environment, which gave him the opportunity to go out and at least do something… it was hard to stay put for the captain, who time and time again had favored action over inaction. But he found that perhaps it was not so terrible after all, as he found his gaze eventually falling onto the sleeping girl… she really wasn't unpleasant to look at, even with her swollen lip, black eye and bruised throat… there was a stubborn sort of beauty to her, which was accentuated by the permanent frown that played with her features as she slept.

Steve found himself lost in thought after a while, watching Lianka absently for what might have been two or three hours.

When she stirred and groaned, he was brought back to reality sharply and rose at once to get closer to her.

« Hey… » He said a tad awkwardly, not quite sure what to do.

Her sharp, blue eyes opened at his words and she gestured for him to give her a hand in sitting up, grasping at her head, which was obviously painful. Steve pressed a hand to her cheek, like he had seen Bucky do. It was warm, but he couldn't tell if that was normal… however, he felt a slight flush creep into his own face as her intense gaze crossed his.

« Hand me my bag, Captain. » She groaned, pointed a hand to the other sofa, against which a small pack was set.

Steve grabbed it and gave it to her. « You know… you can call me Steve, Lianka. »

She scoffed and grimaced as pain shot through her head. « Only if you call me Lia. »

Lianka rummaged through her pack, not waiting for an answer, and pulled out bottled water and a flagon of pills, two of which she threw into her mouth, downing them with several long gulps of water. When she was done and set everything aside, Steve was able to notice that her bruised lip and black eye were significantly less swollen than before. The mark on her throat had passed from an angry black and blue to a sort of purple tinged in yellow.

She noticed him staring. « Told you. »

Steve looked away, a bit embarrassed at having been caught, but she just smiled, amused. Lianka proceeded to check the IV bag she'd been hooked up to earlier, noting that it was now completely empty. She handed it to Steve and pulled the needle from her arm without flinching as he handed her gauze to press to the slight wound that was left behind.

« You want to eat anything? »

« Sure. » She pulled herself up from the sofa gingerly and he helped her stand for a moment while she regained her footing. When she felt steady enough, she pushed him back gently. « Go. I'll join you in five. »

Lianka proceeded to walked slowly, bag in tow, holding on to furniture and walls along the way for support, all the way to the small bathroom across the room. Steve let her go and returned to the kitchen, where he set water to boil on the stove.

The young woman joined him a couple minutes later, her face a bit wet, but a lot cleaner than it had been before. He noted that she still wore her tattered and bloody clothes, and that her leg was still bandaged, the pant cut off above the wound : she'd obviously just freshened up, perhaps not feeling quite well enough to actually shower. She walked up to the table at which he sat, limping slightly with every step, before settling down into a chair with a soundless grimace.

She gladly accepted the mug of steaming coffee Steve handed her and downed it so quickly he wondered if she had burned her throat. He offered her a second one, which she accepted with a nod. This one, she drank slowly, gently picking at the hydrated food he'd handed her, watching him more carefully now.

« So… » Lianka said softly between two bites. Her voice was notably less hoarse than earlier. « How did the two of you get dragged into all this? I was expecting someone from Wakanda, but not Captain America and the Winter Soldier themselves… »

« Long story, I guess. » Steve shrugged. « I've been on the run for almost a year. Have you heard about… »

« The fiasco of the Sokovia Accords? Yeah, I might have heard a thing or two… » She smirked wryly. « Just so you know, I support your view. You might have gone around parading as Captain America, but that does not mean you belong to the United States, or any government. Placing you under a single rule means they can use you against one another. Somehow, I doubt that's the whole point of being a hero… »

Steve chuckled, pleasantly surprised. « A woman after my own word. Well, after all that mess, I went rogue, but stayed in contact with Wakanda. They called in a favor. »

« And your friend? Last I heard, he was a wanted man. »

« He… » Steve hesitated. « Have you read the documents released about the Winter Soldier? » She nodded. « So, you know who he was before and how… how he was twisted by Hydra… made into their weapon. He got away from them, stayed under for a while, but it all came back to haunt him with what Zemo framed him for, with the attack on the UN in Vienna last year. In the end, we could prove he wasn't behind the attack, but the damage was done. I was considered a criminal, he had charges to answer to as well and… he… he hated knowing that he could lose control over himself like that… Wakanda claimed to have technology that could fix him, so we gave it a go. They woke him for this mission because he knew the terrain better than anyone. He isn't what Hydra made him to be… »

« Is he better now? » She seemed very curious.

Steve paused for a moment before answering. « As far as anyone can tell, yes. »

Lianka stared at him with those shocking eyes. « Sounds like there's a 'but' there… »

The blond man sighed and eventually shrugged. « It isn't easy to know… we haven't exactly tested his… his activation method. »

« So, you don't actually know if he can be used against you? » Lianka raised her eyebrows with scepticism, to which Steve felt a bit foolish, knowing full well that it would have been smarter to try and activate Bucky before the mission to see if it could still be done.

In the end, he sighed. « Look, I trust Wakanda and the technology they have applied. Besides, Hydra is gone… the last person to know those activation codes is imprisoned and cannot use them. »

Lianka finished her meal and looked at Steve with cryptic eyes. « Hydra has… had many secrets. They infiltrated so many organisations and if anything about them was true, it was their motto. 'Cut off one head and two grow back.' I wouldn't dismiss them just yet. »

« What makes you say that? » Steve asked suspiciously.

The woman sat back and shrugged. « A feeling. I've had to deal with them in the past. If I learned anything about them, it's that there's always another plan, always another secret… it never ends. You think you've uncovered something final, but it turns out it's just the head of a much larger, and much uglier snake. I wouldn't be surprised if they're behind this attack on me, and on the other spies. I wouldn't be surprised if Liev is one of their soldiers. »

Steve felt uneasy : he'd dealt with the organisation in the past numerous times. He knew that Lianka's words rang true : the conditions under which Hydra operated were vicious and ruthless and they were prepared to do anything to survive. Had he not seen Zola himself, his mind recorded on miles of tape, set on remaining operational even long after his physical death? Had S.H.I.E.L.D. not fallen to those bastards, infiltrated for decades, all their secrets laid bare for the world to see?

Lianka rose gingerly and Steve got up at once to assist her. She let him, placing her weight gratefully on his arm as he steadied her and helped guide her back into the other room.

« Where _is_ your friend, anyways? » She questioned as she regained her sofa and curled under the bloody blanket.

« He went to your apartment to try and make sense of all this. Said he'd bring you back something to wear, too. »

She grimaced. « Real sweet of him, but I hope he won't get spotted by the jackass that tried to kill me. Would ruin our chances at baiting him… »

Steve smiled. « I wouldn't worry. Bucky's a professional… »

She thought on this for a moment and nodded before resting her head on the small pillow. It was not long before she closed her eyes and fell right back asleep and Steve regained his position on the nearby chair, watching her absently.

(0)

He heard the door at the top of the steps leading into the basement creak open very quietly just as she did. Steve rose brusquely, a little stiff from his long time in the uncomfortable chair and she leapt from the couch, barely grimacing as she set sudden weight on her wounded leg. Steve glanced at her, but she shook her heard silently, drawing her gun. He activated the small forearm shields he'd been given in Wakanda and raised his fists, ready to launch himself at the door at a moment's notice.

Footsteps descended the stairs beyond quietly and the door swung open very suddenly to reveal a snow-covered Bucky.

The Winter Soldier took a step into the room, noting with some amusement the aggression with which he was greeted. Steve was already lowering his arms, the shields retracting, and Lianka activated her gun's safety as she placed it back down onto the sofa where she'd been fast asleep just minutes earlier.

« You two make the cutest pair. » Bucky teased as he set down two bags on the nearby table. Steve blushed a bit, grumbling something, but Lianka smirked wryly and came closer on careful, slightly shaky legs, walking with just the ghost of a limp.

Bucky raised an eyebrow. « You look better. »

She rolled her eyes at him as she rummaged through one of the bags, which contained clothes that were meant for her, but were not her own, obviously. She'd never seen them before.

« Told you I heal fast. » She nipped. « These aren't mine… did you not go to my apartment? »

« I did. » Bucky took a seat as Steve checked the other bag, which contained some sliced cold cut meats, potatoes and a few fruits. « Didn't want to take anything from it, seeing as your attacker might return. If he notices things are missing or moved around, he'll think you went back, possibly with help. Let's let him think you're unwell for now. »

« Clever. » She noted softly, her eyes sparkling. « Seems like you're more than just a hard-headed soldier, after all. »

Bucky did not answer, but sent her an amused, cheeky sort of grin, watching her with new attention as she turned around stiffly and limped to the bathroom. She was brass and audacious, and he found that he liked that about her… he liked it very much.

« Hey, doll… » He called after her as he remembered her leg wound. « I should check your stab wound before you shower, don't you think?»

She turned, an amused smirk playing with her lips, which had almost lost all the swelling to them. « Seeing as it isn't bleeding anymore, I think it can wait a moment. But you can have a look at it after, if you'd like. » She winked at him and turned away. « Right now, I need a shower more than anything… feels like I have blood on every inch of me. » She vanished into the small room.

Bucky glanced at Steve and noted that his friend was staring at him with a raised eyebrow, fighting with a mocking grin. He shrugged innocently. « What? »

« Do you have to hit on every woman we meet? »

Bucky grimaced. « Hey, you're not the one that was under cryo sleep for a year! Can't blame a man... »

« You're right. » Steve smirked. « I was just under cryo sleep for seventy years… so how is it I have a little bit of self control? »

The soldier barked out a laugh. « Stevie, for you it has nothing to do with self-control… it's just you being a shy poster boy. »

Steve rolled his eyes. «Jerk. »

« Punk. »

With that, he rose, punched his friend playfully in the arm and helped him carry the freshly bought food to the small kitchen. There, they sent the potatoes into the oven and boiled some water for more coffee.

« Did you managed to reach Wakanda? » Steve asked as they sat at the table.

Bucky nodded. « Yeah. Couldn't get into the details with them because of what they said about the connection being insecure, but I think I got the gist of our plans across. They stand behind any decision we make. »

« Anything new about the murders? »

Bucky shook his head, concerned. « Not a thing. No new murders, although I guess that's normal : the man who attacked Lianka, Liev, is probably waiting for her to show so he can finish the job, before moving on… » He glanced at his friend, but Steve said nothing more, obviously lost in thought.

Lianka spent a solid twenty minutes in the shower and after a moment of talking over their next move with Steve, Bucky decided to go back to the living room to grab the first aid kit in case she needed anything from it.

Just as he bent down to pick up the small box, he heard the door to the bathroom open.

Bucky rose and turned.

Lianka was walking towards him in slightly uneven steps, holding the dark pants he'd gotten for her in a hand, wearing nothing but a dark, long-sleeved shirt that revealed her collar and dropped low into her cleavage and lace panties that hugged at her hips. Both of which he'd also gotten for her. Her face was void of emotions, but Bucky could almost swear that there was an amused glint in those blue eyes of hers. He watched her approach, truly taking in for the first time her curves, the way her muscles were taunt beneath her skin, how, beneath her calm demeanor, she seemed to draw his gaze with animal magnetism. Even with her limp, she had a swaying, quiet manner of walking which was intriguing all on its own. She stopped just inches away from him and he found he could not quite control the way his breath had very suddenly accelerated.

« Want to check the stab wound? » She asked evenly, her voice betraying nothing.

He regained his composure and smirked. « Sure thing, doll. »

Her mid-long hair was clean and wet, falling onto her shoulders, and hiding the fading bruise around her neck. Her eye was still a little puffy, but her lip had completely lost its swell. Bucky kneeled before her in a slow, calculated sort of manner. Lianka did not move a muscle, following his motions with sharp eyes, but he could have sworn that her cheeks were just a shade redder.

She extended the long, strong leg that had been knifed, and he grabbed her gently by the hips with both hands, as if there was nothing to it, turning her a bit to allow the light from the ceiling lamp to better shine on her wound. Lianka followed his guidance without protest, but shivered pleasantly when his cold, metal hand met her warm skin, feeling the sheer, brute strength of his arms for the first time.

« I love your taste in clothes. » She dropped in a soft voice as he carefully examined the metal stitches around the wound. Bucky's eyes rose, coming level with the lace panties, on which they remained for just a moment too long, before leaping up to meet her cryptic, amused gaze.

«It was in style with what I found in your apartment. Thought you'd like wearing something that was alike. »

She cocked an eyebrow. « Oh? »

Bucky rose slowly to meet her, but he was much taller than she was… he soon found himself towering over her, smirk playing with his lips, as she had to tilt her head slightly upwards to train her sparkling gaze on his grey one. They stood so close to one another that he could feel the heat rolling off her skin.

« Also thought they would look quite good on you. » He admitted as an afterthought, his voice nothing more than a low rumble that raised goosebumps across her skin and finally caused her to bite at her lip as her breath hitched ever so slightly… it was the first actual reaction he managed to get out of her, her stoic composure flinching. It did not help that as he spoke, his metal hand had snaked along her leg, slipping beneath the black lace of her panties, pulling at them ever so slightly, as if he had a mind to rip them off.

The door to the kitchen opened suddenly.

« You two alrigh… oh! My bad… » Steve had begun entering the room, but upon spotting the half-naked Lianka, had instinctively shut his eyes and retreated back into the kitchen without another word. She watched him go with an amused grimace, before turning back to Bucky.

« _Spacibo, soldat_. » Lianka whispered, turning away from Bucky, who watched her go, his eyes stalling on the firm curve of her heart-shaped backside, with just a touch of regret at the interruption… the moment was gone, but he still felt a sort of flame between them, which was only accentuated by the coy smirk she sent over his shoulder as she entered the bathroom and shut the door behind her.

Bucky cleared his throat and took a moment to breathe in deeply, willing the sudden tightness in his pants away. When he felt a slightly more in control, he joined Steve in the kitchen, who greeted him with a look at was half amused and half annoyed.

« You're terrible. » He mumbled as Bucky sat at the table and pulled a bottle of vodka from the bag he'd brought.

The Winter Soldier scoffed. « I have no idea what you're talking about. »

Steve gave him a look of sheer exasperation and rolled his eyes.

Bucky downed a shot of vodka and shrugged innocently. « Was just checking her knife wound. »

« Right. And I signed the Sokovia Accords. »

The wry tone of his voice forced them both to smile. After a moment of just trying to fight the laughter that was rising between them, they burst into stifled chuckles and Steve even accepted a shot of vodka from his friend, simply glad that they were working together again and bantering as they were used to.

« But seriously, Buck… we're on a mission. I don't have to remind you to keep your head on straight… » His tone implied otherwise.

« I know, I know…. » The soldier shrugged slightly. « But for the time being, we're stuck here waiting, anyways… and there's just something about her… »

He cut his words short as the door to the kitchen swung open and Lianka stepped in, mercifully clothed this time. She sat down between Bucky and Steve, her face completely blank, as though not a thing had happened earlier. Bucky served her a shot of vodka, and Steve wordlessly prepared a mug of coffee, his face just a tad redder than it usually was. She noted this and only Bucky caught the cheeky little smirk that crossed her face as she discreetly glanced at the blond soldier.

« So. » Bucky said, drawing her attention to him.

« So. » She repeated with a coy smile, knocking back the clear liquor without as much as a wrinkle of her nose.

« Your leg looks well. » He added, reaching for the bag he'd brought earlier, which contained the sliced cold cuts and fruits, handing it to her so she could take something she liked. « We can probably take the stitches out in a couple days. You should still take a second dose of antibiotics tomorrow, just to make sure the infection doesn't set in. But you have indeed healed very fast… »

« In my defence, those Wakandan remedies really helped, soldier. » She smiled and bit into a green apple hungrily.

Bucky's mouth twisted slightly into a grimace. « You need to stop calling me that. I'm Bucky. »

« I thought your name was James. » She quipped innocently enough.

« Yeah… don't call me that… Bucky is fine. »

« Then I'm Lia. » She finished the apple and tackled a few cold cut meats. « I haven't had the chance to thank you both but feel like I really should. I probably would not have made it without your help. So, _spacibo_… both of you. »

Both men nodded, unsure what to say. But with that, Lianka started up a conversation and it was not long before any sensation of awkwardness seemed to vanish from their midst. Her voice was melodic now that it was no longer hoarse from the chocking she'd received and they found she had a natural way of connecting with people, easily getting even a taciturn Bucky to chat about what he remembered from his past, pre and post being the Winter soldier. They ate and drank and after a while she pulled out an old, battered pack of cards and they played a couple games. She told them about what her life had been like here after her parents passed away, how she'd schemed and planned her way across several governmental positions, finally ending in the presidential office itself, where she was currently also the mistress of the minister of Internal Affairs, which allowed her a privileged insight into the country's inner workings. Of course, all this was to benefit Wakanda, who could stay a step ahead of Russia thanks to her information.

When asked by Bucky if her minister might be worried about her sudden disappearance, she shrugged him off, saying they met only once a month, as he was abroad the rest of the time. Apparently, he was not due to return for another two weeks, by which time she hoped to have the whole mess cleaned up. Once the threat was eliminated, all she needed to do was show up, affirm she was still alive and well and find a believable story for what had happened in her apartment, something she was sure Wakanda could help her pull off in order to preserve her position.

She was so singularly laid-back that Steve had to admit he was impressed : she seemed to have brought down the life of a spy to a simple science, one which she knew back to front. But then he reminded himself that _because_ she was a spy, of course she would seem laid-back and in control… just like he had seen Natasha be, countless times in the past. It most probably was just an image she projected, as her very nature had become, over the years, to pretend to be something she was not. The soldier found the idea to be very worrisome : he wondered how lonely it had to be to always be on the lookout, always careful of what emotion or aspect of yourself you showed, always thinking three steps ahead to remain safely in control of your environment, never truly yourself… and his gaze turned to Bucky, who, he realised, probably knew exactly what that must be like.

« Well, it's getting late. And I must admit I'm still pretty tiered, even with those meds helping me heal. » She rose and swayed just a bit on her feet, reminding both soldiers that she was not, in fact, as sturdy as they were when it came to be drinking copious amount of liquor. Bucky rose beside her and stretched lengthily, yawning in the process.

« Oldest gets first watch. » He quipped, turning to leave.

« But… you're older than me! » Steve called after his friend, getting up with a bewildered look on his face.

« Not if you count the years in and out of cryo! »

Bucky was already in the living room, so Steve only grumbled a response, which sounded strangely like 'jerk', before taking a moment to tidy up the table at which they had sat, obviously trying to figure if his friend was truly older than him by his count. Lianka's lips twitched slightly in amusement as she followed the dark soldier into the other room.

« There's a bed in the adjacent room, over there. Since I'm not dying anymore, you don't have to keep watch over me, and I'll be more than alright on the couch. » She announced in a neutral voice, hiding very deftly the spark of desire that burned within her. Something about the Winter Soldier really made her blood run faster… or perhaps it was her near-death experience that was putting the futility of life under a new light, reminding her that sometimes, it was good to enjoy the nice things before it was too late to enjoy anything at all… on the other hand, she knew that she could not afford proximity with anyone, not for the time being…

Bucky turned to her, sweeping dark hair from his eyes, which were not as good as hiding what he was really feeling.

« Only way I'm taking that bed is if you come into it with me. »

Years of experience in controlling her emotions allowed her to remain calm and in control of herself. « What? And leave your friend alone? » She fought with a sly, playful smirk.

Bucky crossed the distance between them in a single, huge step, and stopped before her, tall and towering. Lianka watched him with a look that she wanted calm, but her heart was racing just a little bit faster now… Bucky slowly, tentatively raised his metal arm, running those ice-cold fingers across her exposed collar bone, slowly inching up her throat and to her jaw. His eyes were dark and grey and filled with playful lust as he watched her struggle to remain composed. Lianka's hand came up slowly, grabbing the cold metal of his wrist in a soft, yet unyielding grasp as his fingers sought to sneak into her mess of drying hair.

« We _could_ as Steve to join… » Bucky murmured in a low, husky voice, smirking slightly, watching carefully for a reaction, waiting for her to blush or falter… she did no such thing, smiling coyly instead as she forced his arm down. She applied almost no force to it, so really, he was just letting her win…

« How about you let me recover before asking that I take on _two_ super soldiers? »

She nonetheless rose onto the tips of her toes, bringing her face closer to his, and Bucky found himself moving down to her, because she was just a tad too short to reach him… at the last possible second she averted her lips from his, her warm breath like fire over them, planting instead a very soft kiss upon his rough, unshaven cheek.

She pulled back slowly.

« Good night, Bucky. »

With that, she left him standing, feeling torn between amazement and frustration.

She vanished into the bedroom, shutting the door behind her without as much as a glance back and Bucky crashed into one of the two couches with a long sigh, defeated.

He distinctively heard muffled laughter from the kitchen, so he chucked a pillow at the closer door, grumbling. « Shut up, punk. »

(0)

Review please, let me know what you think! I want a relationship to develop between all three before I take it further, because my brain just won't let me write it any other way!

Twists and turns ahead, now I need to make up my mind just how exactly the next chain of events are going to play out!


	4. Action

Karina, thank you! Doing my best not to make them too OOC!

LunaAndAsh, I do too!

Welp, exams are coming up and I am utterly exhausted already; you'll have to forgive the typos and give me lots of love, I am sacrificing gaming to write because I cannot do both, but both help me relax. Enjoy guys… for the record, this chapter took a turn I had no idea it would take… anyways.

(0)

Bucky slept on the couch for the first few hours, his face under a constant frown, as Steve sat awake on a nearby chair, much like he had whilst Lianka slept earlier. It was just past midnight when the Winter Soldier very suddenly sat up, stiff as a board, completely soundless and staring straight ahead.

Steve all but leapt up from his hard seat, tense, watching his friend carefully. They had turned off all lights and there was only a sliver of moonlight illuminating the small living room, giving him very little insight into what was happening… but by the way Bucky suddenly sighed, a long and tired sound, Steve thought he knew.

« Nightmare? » He asked gently.

« Yeah. » The soldier grumbled, running a hand over his face, before rising stiffly to walk to the kitchen, where Steve heard him run water for a drink. He stayed put, mulling over his thoughts, until his friend returned to the room in soft steps, pushing him out of his uncomfortable chair.

« Go. » Bucky ordered grimly. « Sleep a bit, I'll keep watch. »

Steve did not argue with him, hearing clear as day the pain and distress that hid beneath that hard, strong tone. He let Bucky take his place and laid down on the couch, shifting into a semi-comfortable position. He'd be surprised, come morning, just how fast he fell asleep given how worried he was about his friend. Truth was, he'd had a very long day and was probably not ready to admit how drained it had left him feeling.

Perhaps a dozen minutes after Steve's breath evened out and he fell asleep, the door to the bedroom opened soundlessly.

Bucky's eyes found the silhouette beyond with ease, outlined by the pale moonlight, and he said not a thing as Lianka slowly emerged from the room, walking so quietly he could have thought her a ghost.

She made it across the room, dressed in those lace panties and long-sleeved shirt, all the way to where he was seated, never so much as making a floorboard creak, before stopping a mere foot in front of him. Bucky's gaze had followed her the entire time, dark and grim, but never hostile.

Lianka raised a hand. It froze for a second as she hesitated, which was uncanny for her usually fearless demeanor. But as she noted him simply watching her, making no move to stop or encourage her, she extended her fingers and slowly, deliberately, found his hair, where her hand delicately caught his dark locks and caressed them behind his ear.

For the first time in a long time, a sort of… peace seemed to flow through him, starting at where her fingers were very gently touching his head and flowing through his body like fire. He was far from well, or healed, he knew it, but… this was the first time since he'd fled Hydra that he felt… at ease.

Without hesitation, Bucky pulled her into his lap, where she sat herself very naturally, pulling one arm around his shoulders as the other found the side of his face, which she stroked with silky fingers as he pressed his head to her chest. The sound of her slow, steady heart beating against his ear seemed to hypnotize him, chasing away his worried thoughts. His human arm wrapped around her waist as his metal one laid across her legs, but he made no gesture to caress her or to push the situation anywhere else than where it was right then and there. His metal fingers held one of her firm tights with just a bit of pressure, digging into her bare skin… she did not seem to mind.

They sat in utter silence for the longest time, with nothing but the sound of their breathing and Steve's light snoring filling the air around them. After a while, her hand stopped caressing his face and descended to his metal arm, which she grasped gently, pulling it from her legs.

She rose, slipping from his grasp like a shadow and Bucky had a half a mind to hold her back, feeling as though something critical was escaping him, but in the end, he caught himself, letting her go instead.

The look he caught on her face as she glanced back at him, the shy moon just barely illuminating her features, made him think that finally, somehow, after all this time, he had found someone who knew _exactly_ what he was feeling… but it also made him feel horribly, irrevocably lonely, as though the void gaping before him would swallow him whole and never let him leave again…

He saw her hesitate. For the first time since he'd met her, she seemed vulnerable… how she'd managed to not seem vulnerable as she lay, half-dead, barely a day earlier in this same room was a mystery… but now he could truly see a bit of depth to her. Bucky saw past the wall, past the defences, past the whole act… perhaps because he'd let her do just that with him earlier…

Lianka extended a hand, without hesitation this time.

Bucky grabbed it without a second thought and rose as she pulled him to his feet with surprising strength. Then, he remembered that she a bit like Steve and him… he followed soundlessly as she guided him past a deeply sleeping Steve, through the living room, all the way to the bedroom, which enveloped them in near-total darkness as she shut the door behind them.

They came up one against the other like two storms colliding. Her hands were in his hair, both harsh and somehow gentle, pulling at his locks with just enough force to make him growl with pleasure. He found her lips in the darkness and kissed her roughly, his metal hand grabbing her behind the head to hold her tight, as his human hand found her lower back, crushing her against him. She gasped into their kiss and he found, with delight, that he could feel her soft skin against all ten of his fingers.

Her mouth was hungry, ravenous… she nipped at his lips and he groaned, his hand fisting her tousled hair, drawing a hiss of pleasure from her mouth, which he immediately covered with his own, his tongue pressing against her lips, demanding to be let in. Lianka obliged with pleasure, returning the intensity as she started pulling him along into the room.

Both could see well enough in the dark that they hit no obstacle on their way to the bed. Bucky's hands slipped to the bottom of her shirt and she let him pull it up and over her head, finding his lips anew once he'd thrown it to a corner of the room. His metal hand crawled up her body and found a round, firm breast, which he cupped lightly as he pinched gently at her nipple, causing it to instantly harden. Lianka gasped as the cold metal found her burning skin, but the contrast seemed to push her even further along : she bit at his lip almost angrily and the urgency of their need seemed to blossom into an even greater fury. She helped him out of his shirt, which went flying across the room, forgotten, and she ran hungry hands over his hard chest, exploring the sheer muscles there ravenously, her nails digging into his skin when his metal hand teased her breast a bit harder.

They had reached the bed : she felt it bump up behind her legs.

Bucky's human arm held her by the waist as he pushed her back onto the mattress, helping her down as gently as he could, all the while kissing her with a hunger that was threatening to drive him insane. He found himself atop her, his metal arm holding him up, and decided to switch. He pulled his human arm from beneath her waist and laid it slightly above her, keeping his weight off her smaller form. His metal one snaked down across her stomach, cold fingers drawling lines of fire across her skin. He knew that the brute contrast of metal on flesh was like to drive her crazy. He found he was not wrong as Lianka gasped against him very softly and became frightfully still as his fingers slipped between her thighs, agonizingly slow as they teased all the sensitive spots.

Bucky paused.

« If you want me to stop… just say it, and I'll stop… » He found that his voice was blown with lust, his breaths coming out in almost animal growls… he needed every inch of his willpower just to pause what he wanted to do at that moment…

« _Moy Bog_… » She gasped, burning as hot as a flame. « Don't stop… please don't stop… »

She did not have to ask twice. One of his metal fingers slipped past her panties and into her slick womanhood, the heat of her almost enough to burn. Lianka gasped, but Bucky's mouth was upon hers at once to keep her quiet, his kisses hard and hungry. One of her hands found his hair and pulled at his locks, which only served to make him growl against her mouth as he slipped a finger in and out of her, tantalizing, slow and careful to seek out all the most sensitive places. Her other hand was holding on to his back, as though making sure he couldn't leave, and when his thumb found her swollen clit, teasing it suddenly, he felt her nails leave marks on his skin that would last a few days.

Bucky slipped a second finger into her and moved them just fast enough, finding that sweet spot within her tight slit that made her moan deep in her throat and that made her buck her hips to follow his pace. He could tell that she was on the edge, her heart thundering as her nails drew lines of fire down his back, even clawing at the metal of his shoulder. He released her mouth as he felt her stiffen beneath him, her back arched as her hips rose to meet his hand. She threw back her head and clenched her teeth, swallowing a scream, as an orgasm washed over her, wave after wave of boundless pleasure that left her feeling completely drained and panting beneath the huge soldier.

He listened to her regain control over her breathing gradually, his metal fingers slipping from her slowly. Their absence made her feel very empty, suddenly, and when she felt him try to push away from her, Lianka grasped him in an unyielding manner, behind the head, drawing him into a hard kiss. She felt him smirk against her mouth.

« _Niet_… » She growled at him. « I'm not done with you… »

She shifted beneath him, grabbing him deftly as she used his weight against him, and suddenly he was on his back in her place and she was slipping out of her wet panties, before tackling the belt of his pants. Her hands were quick and precise as she helped him slip from his remaining clothes, freeing his hard member with utmost gentleness. Bucky groaned in pleasure as he felt her hand wrap around the length of him, running up to his swollen head and back down with tantalizing precision. Her fingers were tight and demanding, their rhythm quickening gradually, betraying her rising arousal, which in turn only excited him more.

It was too much : she was sitting atop his thighs, so he reach out and grabbed her roughly enough by the waist that her skin might bruise, bringing her up slightly. Lianka was quick to understand where this was going, and she was only too eager for it to get there. She guided him to her wet slit, straddling his hips and arching out her lower back. When the head of his member slipped between her lips and over her swollen clit, she gasped and groaned in pleasure, her breath quickening. She lowered herself onto him slowly and both growled in pleasure as she adjusted to the large size of his cock, all the while trying to hold back the moans that were rising in her throat.

Bucky let her get comfortable around him, and as soon as he felt her start to move her hips, he grabbed her above the hipbones with rough hands to help her into the rhythm, which rapidly became faster and wilder. She was gasping, his name a curse on her lips as she rose and fell along his hard member, her cunt full and squeezing him with every stroke as every motion seemed to rub her just in the right place, mounting her pleasure to the point it was almost unbearable… he could feel her tensing anew atop him, her head thrown back as she fought with a scream… Lianka went over the edge, grabbing his forearms with rough hands, her nails clawing at metal and flesh, and Bucky followed her into oblivion with a ravenous growl, spilling his seed into her as she took in all of him, her whole being a wave of shuddering pleasure.

They were both spent, minds mercifully empty as they slowly regained their breath.

Lianka was the first to move, slowly raising herself to let him slip out of her, his seed spilling down her thighs as she laid down next to him on the small bed with a satisfied sigh.

Bucky glanced at her in the semi-darkness.

« Want me to go back to the couch? »

She snorted.

« Shut up and sleep. » She ordered. « I'll keep watch. » With that, she sat up next to him, pulling a blanket up over them both as she took up a position that would allow her to remain awake.

Bucky was surprised to find his eyes dropping tiredly after just a few minutes as he shifted into a more comfortable position next to the young woman, placing his metal hand over her thigh, beneath the blanket. She neither pushed him away, nor responded in kind.

He wasn't sure if it was a trick of the light, or simply his exhaustion, but as he glanced up at her, he saw her eyes seemed to shine with boundless sadness as she stared off into the darkness. Then, he was asleep. There were no nightmares this time.

(0)

Steve awoke come morning with the first rays of meagre, greyish light. Surprised at having slept so soundly for so long, he struggled up into a seated position, rubbing at his eyes and glanced back at the nearby chair to check on his friend, feeling a tad guilty for the good night he spent, while Bucky recovered from a nightmare… Steve frowned as he noted that Bucky was not in the chair, immediately straining to hear if someone was in the kitchen or bathroom, wondering what was going on…

The door to the bedroom opened quietly and out strode Lianka, wearing a suspiciously familiar, white shirt that was several sizes too big for her, reaching her upper thighs. It was just enough to cover her and apparently also just enough to have Steve blushing at the sight of her.

« Good morning, Steve. » She murmured, hiding her coy little smirk at his obvious unease and confusion. She headed towards the bathroom, shutting the door behind her. Moments later, he heard the shower start running.

Feeling no less confused, Steve rose from the couch, just as Bucky exited the bedroom, wearing his dark, military pants, but no shirt…

« God damnit, Buck. »

The soldier tried, and failed, to hide a sheepish grin, extending his arms with utmost innocence.

« What? »

Steve rolled his eyes and started towards the kitchen, his friend in tow.

« You're something else, you know that? » Steve grumbled as they entered the kitchen, Bucky sitting down at the table while he got water boiling for coffee.

« Don't get jealous on me. » Bucky shrugged, all innocence. « We would have asked you to join, but you were sleeping _so_ soundly. »

Steve blundered for a moment, knowing his friend was probably kidding, but he found that he was intrigued by the idea all the same… he'd been with a woman or two before, because as Bucky had said : he somehow drew them like a magnet… but it had been brief and non-committal, seeing as his line of work didn't really allow him to get into anything serious. Obviously, he'd never done anything as wild as a threesome… Steve found he didn't know how he felt about the idea…

Lianka walked in at that moment and Steve instantly busied himself with the boiling water, his face a tad red and his pants ever so slightly tight.

The woman noticed nothing, throwing the bundled shirt at Bucky, who caught it with just the ghost of a smirk and pulled it on.

« Thanks, doll… »

She smiled at him, but it was a smile void of emotion. He followed her lead and relaxed, acting as though nothing had happened between them, knowing that now it was time for business… this was what they were good at : controlling what they felt, setting aside thought and emotion to focus on a mission… he and she were frighteningly alike in the matter.

« I'm feeling ready to get this show started. » Lianka announced with terrible coolness. Bucky thought he heard anger in her voice and he could not blame her : she was probably itching to get back at Liev. Steve turned to her as well, pouring them coffee, mercifully composed. « We need to bait Liev out. I'm positive he's waiting for me to show. »

« We're listening. » Bucky nodded. « You know the terrain best : we'll follow your lead. »

She nodded, her face serious. « I'm thinking of going back to my apartment. I have to, anyways. I have backed up files with intelligence on them hidden there… I don't think he will have found them, but I have to be sure. Even if he has, I can't imagine he would leave with me still alive… the way he fought… he's no ordinary agent. » She bit at her lip slightly and Bucky found his heart skipped a beat at the sight of it. « Bucky? »

« Yes, doll? »

She ignored the pet name, lost in thought. « Are there other soldiers… like you? »

The dark-haired man shifted, somewhat uncomfortable. « Not anymore. » He growled grimly. She raised a curious eyebrow and he sighed. « Zemo killed the other five who had been modified with the serum like I had been and put under cryo sleep. They were the only others… I trained them myself, years ago. They were the continuation of the Winter Soldier program. »

« Can you be sure there were no other enhanced soldiers made while you were under cryo sleep? »

The question was a hard one… he'd never asked himself this. Hydra had been steadily dismantled over the years and its peak had existed when he was training those other soldiers… had they created another unit? Were there others like him, still asleep, or periodically woken by an unknown head of Hydra to be used as weapons of lethal force?

« I don't know. » Bucky admitted after a moment, grim. « Hydra is… was a very secretive organisation. They exceeded in infiltration, cover operations and assassinations… they could station an agent for decades as a spy before using them… I remember being sent out to retrieve five vials of enhancing serum from Howard Stark, who I… » Bucky stopped himself. « Were there other vials? I don't think so, but I have no idea. I was only ever a soldier… a gun, to be pointed and shot with. I was death. »

Steve wanted to say something, to reassure his friend, tell him he wasn't the monster he saw himself to be… that it wasn't his fault… but he did not find the words.

« Nothing wrong with being death, as long as, when you're in control on yourself, you use your skills to try and better the world. » Lianka said with an uncommon coldness. Her eyes stared off into the distance and for a moment, she was no longer with them. She shook her head after a heartbeat. « Regardless. Let's assume for the time being that there are no more enhanced soldiers. The one who attacked me, Liev, was clearly a spy. He posed as someone else, got close to me and almost killed me. He fought with uncommon skill… and he was also uncommonly strong, even for me. So we have to expect the worst. We also can't assume he works alone. » She sighed. « Here's what we're going to do : he will expect me to have received assistance from Wakanda by now, so no use in pretending I'm alone. He'd smell the trap a kilometer away if I acted as though I was alone. However, he has no idea _who _they sent, nor how many they sent. Since you've already gone to my apartment, Bucky, which we can at least suspect of being watched, I suggest you come with me to it. We won't hide any more than necessary. Steve will shadow us, out of sight in case we encounter trouble. We grab the files I have hidden there and head back here, letting ourselves be followed if need be. It'll compromise this safehouse, but we can wait Liev out here and hopefully take him out if he shows. »

« And if he doesn't? » Steve questioned.

She shrugged. « I doubt he won't. If I understood correctly, the previous murders were exceptionally brutal, but more importantly, they left no witnesses. I have seen Liev. I know what he looks like, and at least enough about him to potentially track him down. He can't let me live. »

« Works for me. » Bucky said after a moment of thought. He glanced at Steve. « Think you can hold off doing anything stupid that would blow your cover while the grown-ups work? »

Steve narrowed his eyes. « No worries… you've already done _all_ the stupid. I should be good. »

Bucky didn't try and hide his grin and even Lianka's lips twitched slightly in amusement.

They finished breakfast and got dressed into their warm coats, hats and boots, concealing their weapons. Bucky took with him the first aid kit, considering it might come in handy. He then left with Lianka a few minutes before Steve, who would give them a head start before following them. Anticipation was high, but Lianka had to admit that it felt good to finally be out and about : inactivity could be more draining that anything else.

(0)

The day was grey and cool, but less cold than it had been when they had arrived. Lianka walked arm in arm with Bucky, helping them pass for a harmless couple, all the while walking with a slight limp that would indicate to anyone watching them that she was still hurt… Bucky had seen her walk that morning and knew very well that such was not the case. He'd still injected her with a second dose of antibiotics before they left, just to ensure that the nasty wound would not harbor infection, but he was more than confident in her ability to heal now. He wondered how many doses of serum she'd taken… and if it truly had been like the one he and Steve had received… he was both curious and anxious to see her in action.

They made it through the city slowly. Steve remained on their tail, stunningly inconspicuous. Within the hour, they were at her apartment.

She glanced around herself as they entered the front door but saw nothing out of the ordinary. Lianka lived on the sixth floor, and as it was an old, soviet building, there were no elevators. Always the actor, she took a break on every flight to lean on Bucky, pretending to be in pain, all the while whispering to him which floor had possible escape routes and where he would find dead ends. At the same time, they strained to hear anything out of the ordinary, but were only met with the sounds of children laughing and crying, of quiet television sets rambling in Russian and of people chatting in their homes.

They reached her apartment and Lianka pulled out a key, opening he front door and passing beneath the yellow police tape that barred the way. Bucky had gone through a window when he last came, leaving he place carefully void of his presence as he did. He followed her in by this route and they entered the grim environment : there was a tiny kitchen on their left and a corridor led to an adjacent living area. Both were in terrible disarray, drawers pulled out, their contents scattered across the floor, everything laying on its side… the pair stepped carefully around the various objects, making sure not to touch anything.

Lianka let Bucky go in front of her, his gun drawn as he scouted the perimeter with sharp eyes and she closed the walk with her own weapon in hand, still limping slightly.

They crossed the living area and entered the only bedroom, a small thing with a queen-sized bed and commode, most of which were now tainted with drying, brown blood from her fight a couple days earlier. Bucky stared at the mess while she lay down flat on the ground and crawled beneath the bed.

« Is all this your blood? » He questioned softly.

He heard her groan beneath the bed as she struggled with something. « No, some of it is Liev's. Pretty sure I managed to stab him back with that damned knife he pulled on me. » There was a sound like wood creaking and splintering, and the girl pulled herself out, holding a single USB key in hand, throwing a piece of the floorboard aside.

There was a wide window in the room, with the blinds open, giving them a view of the slightly lower building next door, which had a roof level it this floor. Bucky glanced out through it…

He grabbed Lianka by the arm with his human hand and pulled her back so roughly she cried out, all the while turning his metal shoulder towards the window, bracing…

There was the sound of shattering glass and a millisecond later, the sound of a bullet hitting metal. Bucky grunted as the force of the slug's impact vibrated through his body but found that his new arm had deftly absorbed the mass of the blow and stopped the bullet. Lianka did not freeze : she pivoted from Bucky's hold and safety, aiming her weapon carefully out the window before pulling the trigger. Her bullets flew towards the figure on the opposite building's roof, which just barely managed to hide behind a stone chimney.

Bucky heard footsteps coming from the corridor that led into the living room, and his weapon was already trained on the figure that turned the corner by the time it appeared. He fired without hesitation and the tall form had to stumble back to avoid the bullets, which sent chunks of wall flying into dust.

« This way. » Lianka snarled as she pushed past Bucky into the living room. He followed her, firing at the corridor blindly to force the figure back and she led them to the large window in the room, which opened onto a metal balcony that also acted as a fire escape for the building's inhabitants. He knew this, because that was where he'd come through when he came here the day before.

Bucky pulled the watch he wore to his face. « Steve, we could use a hand up here. » He growled into the communication device, still aiming at the door into the apartment. Beyond it, the figure was hiding, blindly firing at them every few seconds. Bucky held his metal arm out to protect them from any bullets he could while Lianka threw open the large window and crawled out onto the balcony.

She was immediately forced to dodge as another figure leapt from the balcony above, aiming a kick at her. She found herself facing an unknown man of impressive height and bulk, who's fists were curled around a nasty set of brass knuckles. She moved like lightning, engaging the male without hesitation, her kicks flying in fury as she dodged around his slower, more lumbering motions.

Bucky was still trying to keep the indoor shooter at bay as he joined her on the balcony and realised, they were being aimed at by the rooftop shooter as well, who had approached to the edge of the other building's roof, sniper rifle aimed. He saw her to be a woman and knew that her aim would be off because she wasn't resting that heavy gun on anything. He took no chances, and fired a blind shot at her, forcing her back temporarily. The shooter within ran back into the apartment the moment his attention had shifted, his gun raised and aiming… two bullets hit Bucky's arm and a third grazed his back, drawing a snarl form the soldier. But before the killer could get a fourth shot in, Steve barged in behind him and tackled him viciously to the ground, sending his gun flying out of reach.

The rooftop shooter aimed at them again, her slug ricocheting off the metal balcony above them. Somewhere within the apartment building, people were screaming. Bucky snarled angrily, aimed at her and fired his last bullet, which missed by a hair. He glanced back at Lianka, who was dodging the huge man, her lip split from a blow she'd received. Her lips were pulled back over her tightly clenched teeth, giving her a vicious, angry demeanor. Her gaze crossed his.

« Go! Get the shooter. I've got this. » She howled, parrying the fighter as she used his weight against him to stumble him and deliver a violent kick to his kidneys. The man folded with a growl but was not down yet. Bucky glanced within the apartment, where Steve was going fist-to-fist with the other man and he took a breath before immediately starting to climb up to the higher balcony. The woman shooting at them kept firing rounds at a stable interval, all the while lacking proper aim as she was not in an ideal angle to hit any of them. Bucky clawed his way up rapidly, his powerful arm ripping brick and metal apart as he went, all the way to the rooftop. From there, he sprinted towards the edge without hesitation and launched himself off the roof and onto the other building, still under fire from the woman. Her last slug whizzed past him as he landed onto the gravely, snowy rooftop with a roll that softened his impact. He barely had the time rise that the woman was throwing something at him, which he slowly registered for what it was…

Bucky swore and threw himself sideways behind a chimney as the grenade went off, shrapnel flying everywhere. By the time he got up, ears ringing from the explosion, the female shooter was gone without a trace and he was alone on the rooftop. He turned his attention to the other building, worried for Lianka and his friend… he saw the ferocious young woman as she slipped from her attacker's violent blows, snaking around him and managing a high kick to the side of his neck, which stunned him briefly. She did not hesitate : she pressed her back against the building wall and slammed both feet into the huge man, who lost his balance and stumbled into the balcony's barrier… she howled and kicked at him again and he went over… the man slammed into the metal of the balcony below, throwing out an arm in the hopes of stopping his fall, but missed and went spinning several floors down onto the hard concrete below. Lianka did not watch him go, immediately leaping into the apartment to help Steve, who was holding his own against the final attacker. Bucky, however, saw the huge fighter hit the ground below like a sack of stone… for a moment he was still, but then he stirred and started rising, to the soldier's great surprise. He was sure the man would have died…

Then, the female shooter emerged from an alley across the street to assist the fallen male, glancing up at Bucky with a look of cold, calculated fury. He knew that look. He knew that resilience. He felt ice fill his insides.

There was a gunshot from within the apartment and Bucky's attention shifted. When he looked back down, the pair of soldiers was gone. A few second later, Lianka and Steve emerged from the apartment and onto the balcony, spotted Bucky and proceeded to climb up the fire escape just as he had earlier. The howl of police sirens could be heard in the distance and Bucky silently urged them to hurry as they made it to the rooftop. Lianka went first, running a smooth sprint across the roof, launching herself across the vast gap to where Bucky was, who watched her go with a certain degree of awe : she landed into a careful roll just as he hand, barely stumbling as she got back onto her feet. Steve followed her example… when he reached them, Bucky saw that his friend had taken a fair beating : blood was running from a split wound on his temple and there was a quickly blackening bruise on his jaw.

« He dead? » Bucky asked as he gestured to the apartment they had just vacated.

« Yeah. That was Liev. I have no idea who the other two were. »

Steve noted the approaching sirens. « Let's go. We can talk later. »

Lianka nodded. « Follow me. »

She rushed ahead of them across the roof, to the other end of the building. Both men followed her down another fire escape as she leapt with speed and grace that was not unlike their own, although both Bucky and Steve made it down faster than she did, taking longer jumps without fear of hurting themselves. They all descended into a narrow alley, through which they rushed in full sprint, following Lianka, who knew the way like she'd had to run it before. She managed to get them far away from her apartment while barely stepping out on a single street, until she found a small, fenced yard in which they could pause and catch their breath.

She took a handful of fresh snow from the ground and applied it to Steve's cut, the cold, white powder turning red as it helped reduce swelling and freeze the wound shut. She then applied another handful to his bruised jaw, before turning her attention to Bucky. After a critical once-over, she spotted the wound that had been caused by a bullet grazing his back, which he had honestly barely felt, adrenaline and all. She had him quickly throw off his coat, exposing him to the glacial air, and noted that there was a fair amount of blood running from the deep gouge, down his back.

« The thing you injected me with… to stop the bleeding… got any of it left? » She said softly as she applied snow to the wound. The sudden cold seemed to finally awaken a flash of pain in the soldier, who grimaced and nodded slowly, handing her the kit from within the folds of his coat.

« There's a numbing agent with it, too… for the pain… » He specified as she rummaged in the kit and got the specific needle.

Bucky glanced at her and she raised her eyebrows momentarily at him as she paused, checked the injection and then glanced at the kit again.

« In my defence, it was tucked away far from the cauterizing nanites. » Bucky supplied meekly, to which she smirked hauntingly, before stabbing with him unnecessary force right between the shoulder blades, quite clearly intent on getting some form of vengeance. Too proud to admit it was hurting like all hell, the soldier clenched his jaw shut and suffered in complete silence as she pressed down on the syringe slowly, injecting him with nanites that would prevent him from bleeding out. It felt like something angry and toothy was trying to eat through the flesh on his entire back. When she was done, she nearly yanked the needle out and he grumbled in relief, sitting still while she patched him up with gauze and tape to prevent the wound from oozing any more.

She turned her attention to Steve, who received a much gentler treatment. Bucky looked at them sourly as Lianka very delicately disinfected Steve's cut, before stitching it together with metal pins and taping it over. All the while, Steve was slightly red, but it was hard to say if it was because of the cold, or because of the soft fingers tending to him with care. His gaze crossed Bucky's who, even with all his desire to be jealous, could not bring himself to feel that way as he watched his friend get tended to by the young woman.

It was not until she had fixed Steve up and stepped back that they both noticed she was limping… for real, this time. Her pants were dark, so it hadn't been possible for them to see the blood, but it became clear from the thick, wet stain over her thigh that her leg had begun bleeding anew.

She shrugged. « I kicked that giant _suka_ hard enough… it was bound to happen. » When Bucky moved towards her to help, she shook her head. « It can wait till we reach the safehouse. Besides… I am _not_ pulling my pants down in this cold… »

She turned and walked out of the yard, a grinning Bucky and blushing Steve in tow.

(0)

This was a long one! Please review, tell me what you think and maybe start throwing some theories about our mysterious assassins?


	5. Warm Russian winter

Miia, thank you so much! My writing style had changed a lot over the years and this is my favorite place to practice different types of stories (although I'll admit I always end up in the same sort of undertone. What do you mean by a face claim? Never heard that term before… hopefully I can keep the chemistry up between all 3, I'll admit it's the first time I'm doing a potential three-way couple…

Karina, your comment on aliens just, just made me think about the Meme guy that has a crazy hairdo and says 'aliens'. Aliens are not always the answer… well, not here at least. They are for Captain Marvel though!

(0)

They made it through the glacial streets slowly back to the safehouse. Lianka was limping pretty badly at some point, so Steve and Bucky took turns letting her lean heavily on their arm as they walked, keeping her steady. She withdrew a flagon of pills from her pocket when the pain became too great, swallowing two with a grimace.

It took much longer to get back than it had to leave that morning. It was late afternoon by the time they crossed through the fenced graveyard that stood neighbor to the little safehouse, all the while very careful to keep an eye out for anyone that might be following them… night was falling, typically early for the cold Russian months when they reached the rickety stairs leading down into the basement.

Lianka went first, followed closely by Bucky, Steve closing the walk. She grimaced slightly with every step, feeling utterly drained… it had been a long day. She was exhausted.

Perhaps that was why she did not notice a thing before it was too late.

She opened the door to the basement and stepped through without a glance.

Her hair stood on end as every inch of her subconscious screamed at her, but she heard nothing.

The blow caught her on the temple with such force that her knees folded beneath her and her vision swam briefly, before fading to complete darkness… someone grasped her and pulled her limp form back before Bucky could so much as cry out. He'd drawn his gun on instinct and aimed it at whomever had clubbed the young woman, Steve pushing in behind him, shields forming over his clenched fists as he raised them to his face…

Both men knew they would not be able to do a thing as they took in the situation : a woman had grasped Lianka, twisting her arm viciously behind her back as she maintained the limp girl easily against herself, a gun pressed under to her jaw. Bucky recognized those cold eyes : it was the rooftop shooter they'd encountered that morning.

Behind her stood the mountain of a man that had fallen from the balcony after his fight with Lianka.

As for the person who had knocked the girl unconscious with a single blow…

« You… » Steve's eyes widened in disbelief. « It… it can't be. I saw her shoot you through the heart… »

Bucky guessed that that was Liev.

The tall man smirked, a twisted sort of grimace. As an only answer, he unsheathed a knife and promptly closed his large, bare fist over it, slicing deeply across this palm. He then released the blade and raised his hand for them to see, palm out : under their disbelieving gaze, the bleeding wound glowed red, as though it was on fire… it looked for a moment as though his hand would melt, heat radiating from it like from the core of the Earth… and when it stopped, the cut had completely vanished.

« Either of you try anything… _anything_ at all… Des will put a bullet in your little whore here. » He grinned viciously. His tone was ever so slightly tinted with a Russian accent. Bucky chewed on his tongue, glancing at Lianka : she was still out cold… nothing they could do for the time being. And the woman holding looked all too eager to shoot her, her finger curled hungrily around the trigger of her gun… Bucky lowered his gun slowly as Steve lowered his fists, but neither sheathed their weapons.

« What do you want? » Bucky snarled.

Liev kept on smirking. « To bring the Winter Soldier back home… » The words sent a silent sort of horror coursing through Bucky's entire being, while something within him howled agony. Steve was looking caught between bitter panic and resolute fury. He'd probably never worn such a vicious look on his face before. Liev continued. « I'll be honest… when we started baiting Wakanda by slaughtering their spies, we never _dreamed_ they would send us the very people we eventually wanted to recover. Granted, Captain Rogers was never really our target, but Hydra won't say no to a free soldier… »

Steve's teeth were gritted so tightly together that Bucky could hear them grind. Yet somehow, even amidst the rising sensation of claustrophobia at the thought of returning to the abject organisation, he found that his brain was overclocking, trying to find a way out of this mess… sure, they could probably fight their way out… but there was Lianka to think about. Upon their first move, she would be slaughtered. And he was done being a brute monster that cared not for whom died because of his actions.

He glanced at the girl, who was still out cold, limp in the soldier woman's arms. If they could stall long enough, perhaps she would wake…

Liev looked very pleased with himself, his eyes as cold as ice. Bucky recognized there the soulless brainwashing he'd been through before.

« I wasn't with Wakanda until a year ago… yet you started killing spies before that. Your story doesn't add up. » Bucky said softly, hoping his friend would catch on to what he was doing.

« Let's just say our plans changed along the way, when we learned you were there… » Liev came closer, withdrawing heavy manacles from his inner coat pockets. Bucky was ready to bet those things were made from vibranium…

Steve was obviously thinking around the same lines as his friend, because he swallowed the anger in his throat and spoke. « I've seen that trick of yours before… »

The big soldier smirked horribly. « Of course, you would have, Captain. Stark has gone up against this technology before… like many others, he thought he'd won when the head of AIM fell… but you know what they say about hydras… now, you're going to put these on and follow us without a fight to Svalbard.»

« So you're an extent of the Winter soldier program… » Bucky chanced, glaring at those manacles as they came near. He had a feeling that if he got into those, he wouldn't be able to get out.

Liev snorted coldly. « You didn't think you were the only one left now, _soldat_… »

The man was before him and Bucky was all out of options. He chanced a glance at Lianka… she was still limp as a rag doll in the woman's grasp, but her eyes were wide open and fixed upon him, unwavering in their stoic fury. Their gazes crossed and at once, he was ready.

His metal arm was still full of stored kinetic energy from the bullets he'd stopped earlier. Bucky decided it was time to test the technology Shuri had gifted him with…

His metal fingers curled into a fist as he activated the kinetic energy release.

Liev never knew what hit him. One moment he was standing there, smirking like a wolf, and the next, Bucky's enhanced fist was meeting his face with cataclysmic force, shattering bone as though it was paper, all the stored energy released at once. The man went flying back like a rag doll into the wall behind him.

Lianka had twisted in the woman's grasp a split second before Bucky moved, grasping the hand that held the gun to her throat and thrusting it up violently. The woman shot twice out of sheer reflex, stunned by the turn of events, before Lianka turned to her with a violent kick to the stomach, which forced her to fold in half. Lianka managed to rip the gun from her momentarily soft grasp, but the giant behind the woman was upon her… Steve had moved as well, just a tad late to the party, but his incredible speed and reflexes allowed him to use his forearm shields to block the giant's initial blow at Lianka, before catching him in a vicious upper cut that sent him sprawling.

The woman had recovered, swinging a wild blow at Lianka's wounded leg, which hit true and forced the girl to her knees with a snarl. Thankfully, Bucky had reached her, catching the woman's fist in his metal hand, twisting it as viciously as he could, until she screamed and he heard a distinct crack… Lianka had risen and kicked the female right in the jaw with all the strength she could muster, sending her flying back as Bucky released her. Meanwhile, Steve pounced after the huge man, kneeing him right in the face, forcing him to stumble back, before delivering a bone-shattering blow to his plexus.

Lianka stumbled up, her face a mask of horror as she gazed behind them.

Steve and Bucky turned, following her gaze to Liev, who was rising from the shattered wall, his every pore glowing a magma-like red, his bewildered eyes fixed upon them with a certain degree of panic…

« Run. » Lianka whispered, terror clear in her voice. « RUN! »

She leapt towards the door stumbling over her wounded leg. Steve grabbed her and lifted her up against his chest with a single arm and she held on for dear life as he rushed to the basement door and up the stairs beyond, two at a time, Bucky right on their heels.

They barely made it to the top and out into the freezing air that a colossal conflagration went up behind them, sending them flying head-first into a snow bank, the air swept from their lungs. Steve curled his arms around Lianka, who ducked her head against him and prayed as debris crashed around them, the sound of fire filling the air. The snow had softened their fall, but they'd taken a hit from the shockwave caused by the blast… it took a moment for both soldiers to recover with pained groans, getting up to their hands and knees very slowly. Steve crouched above Lianka, who was breathing hard, her face twisted in pain, one hand on her leg. He gazed at her with distinct worry and she caught his eyes, forcing her face to return to neutral as she grimaced a smile.

« I'm… I'm fine. How's Bucky…? » She tried to struggle up, but groaned and collapsed, after which Steve simply too her into his arms and held her close.

The Winter Soldier rose beside them, relatively unscathed, save for his bewildered expression and a cut or two on his grim face. Mercifully, he'd somehow thought to grab their packs, which they had left by the door before setting out that morning, fearing they might need them for a quick escape. Thanks to these, at least they were not without resources.

« What the Hell just happened? » He demanded, looking back at the crater left by the incredible explosion, where only a few crumbling walls still stood to give testament to the house that had been there minutes before, everything aflame. If the two other soldiers had survived the explosion, it was impossible to say, because the upper part of the building had crashed down into the basement, burying it all.

In the distance, for the second time that day, police sirens sounded.

« We'll explain on the way. » Steve offered and the soldier nodded, before they all stormed off into the adjacent cemetery, the flickering light of the blazing destruction lighting their way.

(0)

They lumbered through the cold, exhausted and hurt, until they found a fenced yard that contained an unlocked, shambling shed in which they could temporarily hide out. There, the men convinced Lianka to pull off her torn, bloody pants, revealing her wound : it had opened up after her battle, but was thankfully only oozing a tiny bit of blood by now, mostly cauterized. Bucky patched her up, removing the ripped stitches and placing in fresh ones, before bandaging her up around the leg tightly. She found a second pair of clean pants in her pack and they took a moment to drink some water and grimly eat a couple bites of dried meat, all of which they had prepared that morning for their eventual escape.

All the while, Steve filled them in on what he knew about AIM, the organisation that Liev had spoken about. He mentioned how Tony Stark had gone up against them some time ago, had eliminated their leader and had mostly considered them to be decrepit and dead… he'd had obviously no idea that the group had survived and had somehow joined forces with Hydra, even less so that they had continued upon their enhanced soldier program.

« Lia… » Steve pondered, feeling a tad awkward. « You knew… you told us to run. You knew what was going to happen to Liev. How? »

He didn't want to sound suspicious, or accusing, but somehow he did all the same. She sighed, not at all offended by his sentiment : in their line of work, suspicion was what kept them alive.

« I did. » She admitted. « I've seen this sort of soldiers before, a couple years ago. In my spare time, I don't just spy for Wakanda… I gather information for my own purposes, which has time and time again given me the leverage necessary to get myself in better positions, or to buy out the right people. Sometimes, I take on contracts to track people, seeing as I'm good at that sort of thing. One time, I was tasked with tracking down a rogue soldier for an organisation that would not name itself. I wasn't asked to fight the soldier, or bring him in, just to find him and call in this organisation so that they could retrieve him. I did, and they came quickly. I was going to leave, but… I got curious. I stayed and watched as he fought them, refusing to follow and then…. He became just as Liev had… he glowed, as bright as a star, and all the soldiers started panicking… I was far enough away that I wasn't hit by the explosion. The others were not as lucky. I later learned that this soldier belonged to AIM and that this new tech was something they were still experimenting with, a very unstable sort of modification to the human genome, which they were working hard to stabilize so they could safely use it on soldiers. Because obviously, it was still incredibly dangerous. »

« Doesn't look like they succeeded in stabilizing it… » Bucky mused.

She nodded. « Remember what Liev said? That their plans with Wakanda had not originally been to bring you, or Steve in… they said they baited the Wakandans by killing their spies… why? Does Wakanda have tech that AIM and HYDRA could use? »

« I wouldn't know… » Steve sighed. « Should we report back to Wakanda, ask them to step in now? We might be in over our heads… »

Bucky had no opinion on the subject, so their gazes turned to Lianka.

« I don't think we should. » She chanced cautiously. « At least, not just yet. We don't know how deep the rabbit hole goes… and think about it : they _let us_ leave my apartment. They could have killed us then and there, obviously, but they let us go. Worse : they knew exactly where we had been hiding, which means they somehow followed either me, or you, back to the safe house. Yet they didn't ambush us earlier, even though I was wounded. This all seems… unnatural. »

« I agree. » Bucky nodded. « They might be hoping we call in Wakanda, which might give them an access to the country somehow, if they can ambush our lift, or track our transmission signal. »

« We're not sure of that… » Steve frowned.

Lianka looked at him grimly. « If this is really Hydra we're talking about, they're a step ahead of us. Even when they have no right to be, when we think them gone and dead, they still are… no, I have another idea. » She bit at her lip and Bucky found that his heart skipped a beat. « Liev said something about taking us back to Svalbard… »

« That's a pretty long shot… » Steve protested. « We don't know if he was bluffing, or even where in Svalbard he wanted to go… »

Bucky was fixing her with a very intense gaze, which she returned. They were both spies of the Motherland, one voluntary and the other less so, but they had one thing in common : they had been shaped to think in such a manner and notice even the most minute detail in order to track their targets with utmost precision.

« Did you notice what they were wearing? » Lianka asked softly. She was mostly addressing Bucky, who nodded, following her lead.

« Standard military attire of the Russian air force. »

« The woman wore a set that did not fit her. »

« Which means she commandeered it. » Bucky was starting to smile.

« From a Russian air base, because they arrived by plane, or jet, possibly under false pretenses. »

« And the closest air force base is… »

« Kubinka. » Lianka was grinning, quite pleased at working with someone who thought like she did.

Steve looked impressed at their quick trail of thought. « And _if_ they did arrive by jet… »

« We can have a look at their flight log and see exactly where they came from. » Bucky completed gladly. The trio looked quite pleased with themselves as they pulled on their warm clothes and packs, setting out from the crumbling shack and into the howling wind of the night.

(0)

It took most of the night to get to Kubinka, as they hitched a couple rides from truckers headed that way. They made for an odd, battered trio and knew they would attract attention, but they did not dare split up in case there were more soldiers out to get them, or the two back there had somehow survived that blast. Once close to the base, they trekked on foot, careful to remain out of sight.

Getting into the base was easier than they could have thought : it was surrounded by a high fence topped with a spiral of barbed wire, but they were super-soldiers… all three managed to jump over the obstacle with relative ease, landing on the far side in knee-deep snow. There was no erasing those tracks… they hurried along, knowing their time before being detected was probably limited.

The place was being lazily patrolled by a couple soldiers, but security was not very tight : Kubinka had long since become a base that housed older models of jets and planes, mostly used for show rather than for combat. They slunk through the shadows between the hangars, searching for a plane that would seem like it had belonged to a trio of AIM soldiers… outside, they found nothing. As they went, they managed to peak into the hangars, but it was very hard to make anything out in the darkness.

« Maybe they didn't land here…» Steve chanced after a while, as they had passed through the entire compound, finding nothing. The last building left to search was an illuminated hangar that stood next to the barracks, where there was clearly a lot of commotion going on. The soldiers there were laughing loudly and singing, a good indicator that they were drunk.

Lianka nibbled at her lip pensively. This time, Steve felt his heart take a leap and he glanced away, his face a tad redder.

« Let's go check that last one out. If there's nothing there, we gotta find a way into these other hangars to search them better. »

The men nodded and they set out rapidly across the yard, crossing it to the last building. The large front doors, big enough to let planes through, were slightly ajar, releasing as sliver of warm light out onto the snow. All three of them peaked into the huge room.

Lianka rolled her eyes. « Of course… » She sighed at their ill luck. There was some sort of party going on in there in full swing, with countless soldiers bantering and drinking around… a jet that more than clearly did not belong here. It was reminiscent of the models Shield used, all sleek and aggressive and clearly out of its element in this Siberian hangar.

They pulled back to the shadows.

« How are we getting to that? » Steve asked, more exasperated than worried.

« We can't wait for them to pass out. They're Russian… it'll take for ever. » Lianka was thinking hard.

« I'm not going in there and shooting everyone. » Bucky said softly, half as a joke, and half with an exhausted sort of sadness.

Lianka immediately grasped him by his metal forearm and even through his coat, he felt her touch.

« No one is going to ask that of you. »

Her tone was uncommonly harsh and her gaze unyielding. Steve looked from one to the other and slowly seemed to comprehend just why they had found solace in one another the night before. She'd grown up in a dangerous world, forced to do things she did not want to do in order to survive… Bucky had been trust into that same sort of world, not by choice, but had done equally horrible deeds… Steve knew they were probably haunted by things he could not even begin to imagine.

« Which one of us can operate that thing? » Steve asked after a moment, easing the tension. « I don't think I can so much as open the door… »

« I can. » Bucky said at once.

Lianka nodded slowly. « We're not going to steal it. » When they stared at her, eyebrows raised, she explained. « Think about it : if we steal it, they'll know exactly where we're headed and we'll just walk into another ambush. If we want to take the lead and stay ahead of them, we must vanish first. Get off the radar. We just need to check that plane's log, figure out where it came from and head there on our own. »

Both men stared at her with a certain degree of awe, neither quite ready to admit how clever the idea sounded. Steve would have favored just charging right into Hydra's headquarters, but he had to admit she had a point : if they were to end them once and for all, they had to catch them off guard. Hydra couldn't be given the possibility to flee.

« Alright. » The blonde soldier finally agreed. « We have to get those soldiers out of there. We distract them, Bucky heads in, checks the log and gets back out before they notice a thing. »

« Do we have a distraction? » Bucky asked.

At this, Lianka grinned. « Oh yes, we do. » She was staring at the bunker across the yard, which both soldiers knew to be housing arms and, potentially, explosives. They glanced at each other, a bit alarmed by the manic glint that had appeared in the young woman's sky-blue eyes.

« Don't blow the place to Hell… » Bucky whispered as she rose, her face set. She dismissed him.

« We'll meet behind the first hangar we passed on our way in. Give me a while. »

She crossed the yard like some ghost. Thankfully, the snow here was so trampled that she did not leave tracks that could be followed. Steve and Bucky bunkered down and waited, almost holding their breath, wondering what the young woman was going to pull off…

Bucky turned to his friend. « Hey… » He sighed; a bit uncomfortable. « About what happened the other night, with Lia and me… »

Steve tried to shrug the awkwardness away. « No worries, I get it…»

Bucky shook his head. « No, that's not it… it's just that… if she'd interested in you… and I think she is… I don't mind. » He looked distantly across the yard, lost in thought. « I thought I would mind, but I don't. No idea why, but I don't… »

« Buck, I… »

The soldier shoved his friend playfully, breaking out of his reverie. « I'd have to be blind not to see how you look at her. We're heading into some pretty dangerous shit… would be a shame if you died a virgin.»

Steve huffed, only half insulted. « I'm not a …»

But Bucky hushed him, smirking playfully, as a pair of patrolling soldiers approached their part of the yard. It was taking a while for Lianka to do anything, and they understood why when they saw the patrolling soldiers walk across the yard, towards the bunker : she was probably waiting for someone who could sound the alarm.

Just as the grumbling pair of militaries passed the weapon shelter, complaining about being on duty while the others partied, there was a snapping-like sound and one of the electrical wires over the bunker, laden with frost and snow, broke in half and collapsed onto the metal building. Upon contact, it generated a great arc of lighting that proceeded to plunge the whole compound into darkness while sparking against the metal, starting a fire atop the bunker.

The reaction was immediate and frighteningly chaotic.

The soldiers on patrol were shouting, the drunk militaries in the hangar were pouring out of it, swearing and yelling and the uproar was such that Bucky was able to rush into the hangar through the open doors, passing three Russian soldiers without a single one noticing him.

There was no one else in the vast room, so he got into the jet, his hands working every control so automatically that he got sudden vertigo as his body seemed to respond before his conscious mind could order it. It temporarily felt like he was still under the organisation's control… the thought was terrifying, even though he knew it to be false. Of course he knew how to operate this thing… it belonged to Hydra, just as he once had. Bucky shook the depressing thought out of his head and powered the jet, launching the flight log. His sharp eyes searched, until they fixed upon coordinates that coincided with the jet's last starting point. It was indeed in Svalbard, on one of the isles off the coast of the main land… he frowned. As far as he knew, there wasn't anything there : not a Hydra base and not an outpost. It was a very cold and hostile land, nothing but a frozen tundra and polar bears… yet, if there was but a place in the world where Hydra could have hidden, it was there…

He powered down the jet and slipped out of it just as the generator came on, lighting the compound in a low, eerie, reddish glow. There was still no one in the hangar, so he hurried to the door and back out into the cold Russian night. Across the yard, soldiers were still shouting, frantically trying to extinguish the flames that were eating up the bunker's roof, increasingly panicked at the idea that the munitions within might blow them all into next week.

Bucky joined Steve and exchanged a silent nod with his friend. Both men set out, keeping out of sight, headed to their rendezvous point with Lianka.

The distraction had worked wonders : there was no one to bar their way and they were not spotted. They reached the back of the first hangar they had passed on their way in and a tiny shadow moved out from between two crates as they came near, starting them. When they recognized Lianka, both men relaxed ever so slightly.

« Nice job, back there. » Bucky murmured as he got close to her. She smiled innocently.

« Just a powerline that fell. No sabotage whatsoever. »

Grinning, she led them out through the way they'd taken in.

Once they were out of sight and sound, and safe from a potentially deadly explosion, they turned to Bucky to find out what he'd learned.

« We're going to Norway, boys and girls. And we're taking the long way there.» He grinned at them almost sheepishly, a look they returned as a solid sort of cooperative relationship began forging itself between the three unlikely heroes.

(0)

Finals are next week. I'm stressing like crazy. Send me lots of love, guys! For those of you wondering, I'm studying a bachelor's in chemistry, so it is no easy feat. But I'll pull through… I hope.

I'm glad to see the story attracts more favorites, reviews and follows with every chapter! Feel free to write me a little review to let me know what you like, what you like less and any thoughts you have about the story! Until we meet again!


	6. Cold Russian wind

Karine, no, Hydra being after Bucky is no surprise, but I swear there _will_ be a surprise at the end, if I can bring my lazy butt to finish this story. Thanks for the good luck, I pulled through! That finals week lasted a year, I swear…

Endlessgalaxies, thank you! I try to _stay_ dedicated… I guess that's the hardest part. I usually know how my stories end before I start writing them, as it helps me reach the end. I just hope I can keep my motivation going, because my style really reflects how much I enjoy writing.

Guest, good luck on your exam as well! If I've made it, so will you! And thank you for the comments, I try and remain true to the characters we have seen in the movies. I might make a more AU story after this one, as some of the things I had planned won't be able to happen in this context, as their relationship had become too… functional. Oh well… how many times does that happen? That people get along so well it kinda ruins the evil things you had planned?

(0)

They made their way back towards the city as dawn rose, bleak and grey. There was a small, shady inn near the outskirts of Moscow, of which Lianka knew, where they could get a room without the owner asking any questions or pieces of ID, so long as they paid in advance. The trio had been through a lot these past few days and all agreed that it was better they lay low for a little while, take the time to heal, before rushing back into battle again. For all intents and purposes, if the super soldiers on their trail could think they had fled back to Wakanda, it would be best… the only chance they had to eliminate them was if they managed to take Hydra by surprise.

When they reached the inn, it was Bucky who went to get them a room, being the least battered member of the group that could actually speak Russian. Lianka would have gone, but she looked as though she'd very recently escaped from a particularly violent relationship and they did not trust the innkeepers to not get curious if they saw her. Bucky returned to the tired, waiting pair with a key and a wry grin.

« All she had was a room with one bed. » He winked at Lianka as he passed her and Steve immediately sent him a slightly panicked, baffled look.

She rolled her eyes. « I bet you _asked_ her for a room with one bed… »

But it was with a crooked grin, amused at Steve's obvious unease, that she followed him across the snowy yard. The inn was much like any motel Steve had seen back home, with a couple rooms lining the empty parking lot in a single, one storey building, which looked like it hadn't been properly cared for since the Cold war. He shuffled after the pair, not sure if he was anxious at being in a single, one-bed room with the young woman, or with both her and his best friend… the two of them seemed to be getting along just fine and he felt… he didn't know how he felt, to tell the truth. He didn't feel as awkward as he thought he should, because Lianka had something about her that seemed to put everyone at ease… he felt… nervous, perhaps? Maybe Bucky was right… maybe his lack of experience with women was catching up to him…

It helped that as they entered the room they'd been assigned, which was the one furthest from the inn's check-in, Steve realised that Bucky had been pulling their leg and there were actually two double beds in the dark little space, which meant, at the very least, that he didn't have to worry about Lianka's proximity for the time being. As soon as the door closed behind them and they turned on the grimy little lamp on one of the bedside tables, the young woman turned her attention to him, a look of consternation upon her face and he watched her approach with a certain degree of anticipation.

« Let me see that gash you got on your face. »

Steve nodded, taken aback as he sat on the bed without protest and let her gently peel off the gauze she'd applied to his forehead earlier that day. He followed her motions discreetly with short glances, trying not to stare at her too directly and by the tiny smile that was playing at the corner of her lips, he thought that she probably knew what he was up to. She ignored him and inspected the wound.

« How's your jaw? » She questioned as her fingers, gentle as silk, ran down the curve of his cheek, pressing slightly to verify if there was still pain.

« Feels fine. » He cleared his throat, as his voice was a tad tight.

She stepped back and he had to admit that he found himself disappointed at losing the soft touch of her fingers on his face, which only served to confuse him more. « Well, there's the super soldier serum for you… you don't heal as fast as those AIM bastards, but it is working wonders. »

She then turned to Bucky, who had been watching the scene quietly, a somewhat amused look on his face as he leaned back against the small desk across the room, his arms crossed over his broad chest.

« Take your coat off. Let's see that bullet wound. » She said as she came up to him, ever graceful and silent.

« Bossy suits you, doll. » Bucky quipped with a small smirk, but obliged, nonetheless.

She pinched his human arm playfully as retribution when his coat came off but turned a critical eye to the gash on his back when he raised his shirt over his head. She had to stand on her tiptoes to see it clearly, as he was quite a bit taller than she was. Her fingers lingered perhaps a moment too long on the taunt muscles of his back, in a calculated sort of manner. She tsked her tongue in an unsure sort of way and Bucky tried to glance back at her, wondering what she could see that he couldn't feel, because as far as he knew, he felt fine…

« What's wrong? »

« Well… » She sighed. Even Steve got up, concerned. Then she poked Bucky in the small of his back with a sharp enough finger that he twitched. « Nothing. I'm just messing with you. »

She slipped away from his grasp like a ghost before he could even think of trying to catch her, and kicked off her shoes, crawling into one of the two beds, where she proceeded to vanish amidst the fairly plush, down blankets, carefully taking up all the space.

« I call this one. You two can cuddle up in the other one. » She called from the safe folds.

« What do you say Steve? You and me? » Bucky dodged the playful punch sent his way, before pulling off his boots and dropping with a long groan into the second bed. He had to admit that it was, if anything, quite comfortable… then again, he had been sleeping in cryogenic pods and worse these past few years, so perhaps he wasn't the best judge of inn comfort… He glanced at the covered lump that was Lianka, in the other bed, and felt a pang of… want? Yearning? Like he wanted to be there with her, but also like he knew that it could never be like that… the soldier chased those strange thoughts from his mind, sighing into the blankets.

Not wanting to be the odd man out, Steve followed their example. Honestly, he was too exhausted to care, anyways… they'd been up since the previous morning and had gone through quite some experiences on their way here. This mission was turning out to be much more complicated than he could have anticipated… then again, it allowed him to hide out in a country where he would most probably not be recognized, all the while keeping him busy at something other than dodging authorities… He turned his head and glanced at Lianka as he pulled off his boots and shoved Bucky away to gain a few extra inches of mattress: her eyes had already closed, and her breathing was deepening. He extended a hand to turn off the bedside lamp, plunging them into relative darkness and figured that he much rather be laying in a moderately comfortable bed, in an inn at the edge of Siberia, than in the wilderness, away from the government and their plans to capture him.

(0)

A couple hours passed without disruption and they slept well into the afternoon. Bucky woke first, emerging from a deep, dreamless sleep with nothing but a sigh and into a warm, delicious feeling of calmness… he lingered in that place for a heartbeat, with nothing but the sound of two other people breathing in the room with him, the air shockingly still and silent. Then, reality caught up to him… he found himself remembering the past few days, their mission, Lianka… his head turned to the girl that lay just a couple feet away and he watched her sleep, her head tilted slightly towards him… Bucky realised that her small, unyielding fingers had snuck out from beneath her blankets and lay extended towards their bed, almost as if she had a mind to reach them. He watched that hand, the soft, pale skin that was taunt over occasionally crooked bones, which signified they'd been broken… the scars marring her knuckles and joints, a testament to the blows she'd thrown that had ripped her skin. Her nails were short and kempt, a sign that she was always ready to throw a punch without them slicing into her palms… all those details, and all from a single, tiny hand… she was so like them… he felt a hollow sort of yearning, knowing that across from him, in that bed, lay one of the very few people who could perhaps understand him…

The Winter soldier's brow furrowed… he hadn't felt anything close to… to this… in years. He hadn't felt this way since before Hydra sunk its claws into him… not since they'd had him and not since he'd fled them. So… what? Why did he feel like something was wrong? That this was too good to be true? He found himself staring at the girl as she slept, her face slightly contracted in a look that made her seem perpetually tense… who was she, really? Sure, she'd told them her past, her story, but no real details… they did not know her, and she had nonetheless done a fantastic job of wrapping them both around her finger… or was he simply being paranoid, too broken to even consider that another human being could still be decent? It felt for a moment a though his vision was doubling, as though he was staring at two people who were in truth just one person, one Lianka who was nothing more or less than the one they knew, and another that was a complete mystery to them, shrouded in her own past…

Almost as if she felt his stare upon her, Lianka came to with a flutter of her eyes and a twitch of her mouth. Her gaze found his, recognized him and she gave a tiny, discreet smile that he returned without a thought. It did nothing to aid his confusion… her bright, blue eyes shone with something that might have been amusement, or it might have been sadness… it was hard to tell.

« I'll go out. Send a message to Wakanda and get us supplies. » He whispered to her as he rose soundlessly from next to Steve. Her gaze felt like it was burning him, all of a sudden.

Lianka nodded, seemed in the process of wanting to remind him what to do and not do, paused as she remembered what he was and smiled instead. « Be careful. »

He nodded and got dressed so silently that Steve never even heard him, remaining asleep as the door slid close behind the soldier without a sound.

Lianka looked at the door to the room for a time, lost in her thoughts. After a while, she emerged from the covers like a shadow, before shedding her dirty, torn clothes and making it into the shower adjacent to the room. Steve woke with a start when he heard the water start running, sitting up in the bed… it took him a moment to rub the sleep from his eyes and asses the room, to remember just where exactly he was. He saw that Bucky was gone… Lianka was too… the shower was running, but were they both in it?

He hoped not… he hated feeling like the third wheel. He collapsed back into the bed and sighed, feeling the tired ache of his muscles after their fight and long journey. It would be nice to have a day or two to rest up, if things could stay pleasant between the three of them. He knew there was some sort of tension building and he was anxious to find out if it would break and if it would cause awkwardness amongst them… Steve vastly preferred drawing a clear line between work and play, but apparently Bucky wasn't capable of doing that… he could only hope this would resolve in a manner that would work for everyone.

How would it best work for him? He had no idea… he didn't want to think of Lianka, but he couldn't help himself : she had a very natural sort of charm and he couldn't deny that he felt… something…

Almost as if on cue, the shower was turned off in the adjacent room and after a moment of shuffling, Lianka emerged from the steamy little bathroom, wrapped in nothing but a towel, her wet hair clinging to her bare neck and shoulders. Steve lay motionless on the bed, hands behind his head, trying to display a calmness that he did not feel, especially when he clearly realised Bucky was not with the young woman.

« He went out. » She explained, sitting on the side of her bed and on his side as she noticed he was awake. « To get a message to Wakanda and get us some supplies. » She fought with a smirk. « We would have sent you, but you know… your Russian is just awful. »

« Hilarious. » Steve chided, but found himself smiling back at her.

There was a heartbeat of silence as Lianka stared off into the distance, lost in thought, running mechanical hands through her wet hair, pulling at the unbrushed locks. Steve used this moment of inattention to observe her, really take in the smooth paleness of her skin, which was marred by the odd scar or five, a testament to her life as a fighter… who was she, really? She was a spy for Wakanda, that was sure, but she had already told them that she did her own thing on the side… how far had she ventured into the world of spies? Of assassins? Of super soldiers? Her eyes were a blue as shocking as his own, perhaps just a shade or two paler… her arms were taunt and strong, and he realised that he could probably have guessed earlier that she'd taken some sort of serum to enhance her abilities : there was no way a person could be so chiseled without daily, grueling training. Steve found his eyes wandering over her smooth collar bone, down the light rise of her chest, to where the towel was still wrapped around her body… he wondered how she looked without that towel on. Sure, he'd caught a flash of her a day or so earlier, but he suddenly wanted to have more time to take her in, to really get to know her, to explore every inch…

A blush was creeping onto his face and he had to look away, clearing his throat.

Lianka smiled as she glanced at him, as though she knew exactly what he was thinking… and she probably did. One would have to be blind to miss how he was looking at her.

"When I was a girl…" She shifted from her bed and to his so delicately and naturally that he barely noticed it. "I was sent to… to a school, you might call it. It is known as _Vorobeynaya shkola_, but no one knows it exists, you see? No one other that the people who go there… my… my parents thought it would be wise that I learn what they teach there, so I might be a better spy. Because they were spies… and I was to be a spy as well… well, learn I did. It is a school that teaches boys and girls to know and do what other boys and girls like… how to get under someone's skin, how to play with emotions, with desire… I had no choice. I went, and I learned."

"For Wakanda?" Steve asked softly, sitting up, curious to learn a little bit more about this young woman.

Lianka shook her head. "No. For Russia." He looked alarmed for a split second, but she lay a soft, gentle hand on his. "The only way we could work for Wakanda was to allow Russia to believe we were working for the Motherland. Double agents. I have been a double agent my entire life, armed with the knowledge to manipulate, to lie and kill my way into and out of any situation… I have played a dangerous game my entire life… I had acted and lied so much that at times I no longer knew who I was… I am the product of years of training: I have been built, piece by piece, molded by the _Vorobeynaya shkola_, by my parents, by trainers… in this sense, I am so unlike the Winter Soldiers… I have not been brainwashed, or tortured, or broken into what I am. I was born into it. I have no one to blame for my actions, no excuse to hide behind. I alone am responsible for every death I have caused, for every life I have taken, every lie I have told…" She fell silent suddenly, her eyes dropping with sadness. Steve found himself moving closer to her, grabbing that small hand of hers to hold it in his own, unsure of what he should do or say, but fully aware that he only wanted to comfort her somehow, to make all that crushing guilt go away…

"I won't ask you to do anything you don't want to do." He said after a moment. "This is up to you… if you want to leave, if you want to stop…"

She shook her head and that blue gaze caught his with such force that his words died in his mouth. "That's just it. For the first time in a long time, I am doing something _because_ I want to do it. Because the end goal interests me and not because it is a mission, or an order. And… I think it may be because of the people I'm doing it with…"

He had no idea how the next few moments happened, because they happened in a blur. Did she move towards him first, or did he pull her in? Steve had no idea, but one moment she was inches away from him, radiating head like the bloody sun and the next she was in his arms, her lips pressed to his with a softness he didn't think was possible for someone who killed people for a living. His hands rose to her shoulders and he had half a mind to try and gently push her away, but that thought turned to dust, blowing away in the Siberian winter, and suddenly he was grasping her face, pulling her into another kiss, his hands slowly shifting to her waist so he could sit her up on him, grasp her legs, her backside…

She lost her towel, she did not even know when. Her hands were up in Steve's hair, brushing through the locks, nails raking his scalp in such a manner that made him groan into their kiss. She broke their embrace but for a moment, just to lift his shirt up: he let her take it off, raising both arms almost obediently, his face flushed red and his blue eyes seeking hers. Her mouth found his again and her lips were gentle yet demanding, the kiss hungry but as soft as satin. Where with Bucky she had felt devouring passion and urgency, with Steve there was different sort of energy: she felt desire, but it was gentle, tame… it was biding, slow and powerful… his lips left hers to find her jawbone, which he kissed softly, making his way down her neck. Lianka pulled her head back, exposing her throat to him gladly, loving the feeling of abandon that filled her mind as she felt his powerful arms hold her, his mouth kissing fire over skin.

She lifted herself up slightly and allowed his kisses to go lower still, over her collar and down to her breasts, which his hands found with utmost softness, rough fingers running over the smooth skin like they belonged there. She sighed as his mouth found her sensitive nipples and kissed those too, his teeth just so lightly nipping at the delicate skin, drawing a gentle groan from her.

She broke free from their embrace and pulled him along, finding his mouth again. As they kissed, Lianka's deft hands found the soldier's pants, which he hadn't bothered to removed before going to bed earlier… she grasped the belt and undid it so fast Steve's eyebrows shot up in surprise. Lianka caught his expression and smirked into their kiss, breaking free for a moment to nip at his ear, before finding his gentle mouth again.

A moment of struggle later, she was helping Steve out of his boxers, carefully grasping at his erection, causing him to growl as she wrapped her fingers tight around his length and ran them up and down slowly, exploring the sensitive spots.

Lianka pushed the blond soldier back into the bed, so he found himself sitting back against the headboard. She watched him, her pretty face flushed pink and for a moment Steve could not help but feel like he was gazing into eternity, into eyes of a very sharp, bright blue that told the story of a hundred lives, of a hundred pains and pleasures and ends… then, she slowly crawled to him and he could only see her lovely mouth as she bit at her lips and smiled almost shyly, sitting over his, both her strong legs on either side of his, pulling him into another kiss that tasted like fire.

Her hands grasped his cock anew and she guided him to her wet entrance, straddling him comfortably. Slowly, she lowered herself onto his length, groaning as he filled her, slowly pulling back her head in pleasure. Steve's strong hands grasped her by the hips and his mouth came to find her collarbone as he drew her in closer, planting kisses along the length of it. Lianka wrapped her arms over his shoulders and slowly began moving her hips, groaning in pleasure as she felt the soldier follow her motions without hesitation, his strong arms holding her, guiding her…

She bowed her head down to his and they worked as one towards their peak, their kisses suddenly rough and more demanding as their pace quickened and became wilder… she was growing against him and he groaned in answer, feeling his pleasure mount so high he thought it would consume him before he found release… suddenly, he went over the top with a long, pleasured grunt as he came into her and she followed him into oblivion, grasping his large shoulders with nails like claws, pulling him into a final kiss that silenced their howls. Their rhythm slowed almost chaotically, as both felt a heavy sort of exhaustion creep into their bodies, the last waves of pleasure washing everything away.

Lianka pulled away from his mouth with a wry little smirk and Steve simply stared at her, at a loss for words. Gently, she sat next to him to catch her breath and allow her heart to regain a normal pace. Steve noticed, slightly distraught, that his seed was running down between her thighs… it was as though his brain was finally catching up to what had happened minutes ago, and he wondered if his moment of abandon had been wise.

At his slightly panicked stare, she pinched his forearm to bring him back to her. "I can't bear children, if that's what worries you." She reassured him… strangely, there was no sadness in her voice at those words. It was simply a statement, nothing more. The thought had crossed his mind, but he had to admit that he also worried about their trio's relationship, now that he had crossed that bridge. Chasing that thought away, Steve recalled that Natasha had told him something similar, of an operation performed on Russian spies and assassins that rendered them sterile, assuring they would never be distracted from their work… he quite suddenly found the practice even more barbaric than before, the thought of such a thing being done to a human being twisting his insides… but Lianka did not seem to mind. She ran a hand, soft as silk, over his cheek and smiled anew.

"Guess I'll get back in the shower."

With that, she was gone, leaving the soldier even more confused than before, if such a thing was possible.

(0)

Sorry if this one lacks action or more pages, but I would rather finish here and start off another chapter. Also, sorry for the long wait, I did have my exams. Those are over now, thankfully, and I'm waiting on just one last result before being able to say I've passed my courses!

So, fingers crossed for that last math exam!

Review guys, let me know how you like it so far!


	7. Takeoff

Tuckeyjnp, it took me while, but here's a new one!

Karina, it does indeed! I hope I can keep it balanced!

Thelmski, I loved Endgame as well and was left very… empty… after everything that happened. I try and keep this story as true to the actual timeline as possible and will try to finish it off in a manner that could be inserted into the MCU. I am considering a more AU one for the future, though. Stay tuned!

(0)

Steve joined Lianka in the shower.

After she had left him, spent, in the bed, it took a solid two minutes of violently debating with himself if it was a wise decision to take, if he should repeat their act of intimacy or leave her alone, if it would further affect the relationship of their trio, if he would even be welcomed by her… before allowing the longing in his heart and groin to decide in his stead, leading him out of the bed and into the small bathroom.

He slipped into the shower behind her and she turned to face him with a shy little smirk that told him quite clearly that she was in no way surprised to see him.

At once, he swept her up into his powerful arms and pushed her back against the cool tiles, forcing a gasp from her lips. Lianka let her legs wrap around his waist gladly, feeling his erection pressing against her as he pulled her into a hard kiss. There was more urgency in his motions now, more furious desire as his hands dug almost painfully into the round curve of her ass, holding her up against him. She felt fire awaken within her anew and did not ask… she simply grasped at his cock and guided him into her, loving the feeling of fullness she experienced as he inched into her with a longing groan. Steve's eyes were blown with lust as he slowly filled and she stared into them with hunger, taking a moment to adjust to his length before shifting her hips forward to start moving.

He pushed her into the wall a little more, hot water running down his back and began pumping in and out of her tight slit, drawing gasps of pleasure from her parted lips with every motion. This time, he focused on culling his desire, wanting to see her come first, watching her hungrily as her pleasure grew and her nails found his back, drawing lines of fire across his taunt muscles… her eyes left his only to flutter as the fire within her grew steadily and she squeezed his waist harder with her long legs, deepening his motions and taking more control to allow him to reach the most sensitive spots, to fill her completely…

Lianka pulled back her head and gasped his name as she came, locking her fingers tightly in his hair, pulling harshly at the blond locks… Steve groaned with pleasure at the sensation, which was not something he'd one day thought to enjoy. Still, he fought with himself to remain in control, to not let the pleasure overwhelm him too…

As her climax subsided and she slowed her pace, panting somewhat, Lianka undid her legs from his waist and pushed him back slightly. Before he could protest, she kissed him longingly as she gently slipped his hard cock from her wet pussy, before pulling back with an amused smirk.

A little bewildered, Steve watched her slowly dip down to her knees in front of him, her hand wrapping around his manhood with just enough pressure that he groaned yearningly. She glanced up at him with that devious little smile and it was almost enough to throw him over the edge… and here he was, thinking he had any sort of control over the situation… Steve pressed a hand to the wall behind her to steady himself and let out a string of swears as her warm, wet little mouth found his cock and took it all in almost hungrily. She sucked up and down at a deliriously slow rate, tasting both herself and him, her hand running over the length of him in rhythm and took a small break every few seconds to simply lick up and down his cock, glancing up with a cheeky little grin that held him in a trance. He'd managed to control himself as he fucked her, but with how her mouth was hungrily playing with his cock, with that lustful gaze she lifted to him every time she teased him…

"Lia… I'm going to…"

She ignored him and took nearly all of him in her mouth, which was quite a feat considering his size. He felt her tongue swivel over his head and couldn't hold back any longer. His hand went down to her head and entwined into her wet hair as she slowed her pace suddenly, tending to him with infinite care… he came with a hungry growl and such pleasure that tiny black spots erupted over his vision and he really had to push into the wall to keep his legs steady. Lianka did not let him go until he was done, after which she slowly pulled back until his half-hard member left her pouty lips, before giving it a final, longing lick that sent a profound shiver through his entire body.

She rose to meet him as he caught his breath, still a little bewildered, the blood clearly not back to his brain yet. She was biting at her lip, clearly hiding a tiny smile and made to slip from his grasp and exit the shower…

Steve caught her and pulled her into a very gentle, almost chaste kiss, surprising her.

When he finally let her go, she looked at him quizzically. "Not many men like to kiss after… that…"

Steve shook his head, trying to clear it. "God damn… they should… they really should…"

She beamed him a smile and left the shower. This time, he let her.

(0)

Lianka and Steve spent the next following hour or two chatting in bed, swapping stories. He told her about his past, about the harrowing gap between his two lives, one past and one present. He found himself telling her about the conflict that had arisen between Stark and him, about how he refused to sign the Accords, refused to put life-saving decisions in the hands of politicians and bureaucrats, who could squabble for weeks on end to come to an agreement, often in situations where rapid action was the only course that could save lives… she agreed with him, agreed that no one organization should hold such sway over the masses… that often, individuals were capable of making the hard choices, the choices no one wanted to make and they were then able to carry the weight of the consequences that went with those choices. He found her to be a good listener and easy to confide in… at some point, he wondered if it had something to do with the Sparrow training she'd received, but he found himself feeling guilty at the thought of it… she'd been shaped into what she was, not really by choice and to suspect her of using her gifts on him for nefarious purposes was an unfair accusation. She'd given them no reason to think she was anything less than an ally.

After a while though, she became restless. Steve found he shared her feeling, as they more frequently glanced at the single door to the room, trying to quiet their growing consternation for the person who was not in the room with them… Bucky had been gone nearly three hours and considering their very precarious situation, it was starting to become very unnerving. Both tried to remain calm and composed, giving the Winter soldier the benefit of the doubt, but it was starting to become harder and harder with each passing hour.

They were getting hungry, so Lianka left for a little bit to buy some red beet soup and a couple flavorful sausages at a nearby restaurant. The whole time she was gone, Steve felt progressively more and more unnerved… the silence of the empty room was putting his nerves on edge and when the young woman finally returned, entering through the door in her usual ghostly fashion quite suddenly, he found himself jumping up nervously at the intrusion. Lianka noticed his unease and smiled in an apologetic fashion, brandishing the small, white bag she carried, which wafted in a very delightful smell into the room.

"They had _pelmeni_…"

Steve had no idea what those were, but he quickly discovered that they were quite delicious as he wolfed down a fair share of them. Anticipating that the soldier would probably have an appetite to go with the serum that had changed his body, Lianka had bought enough food to feed a family of eight. She ate more sparingly, still cautiously hiding her growing consternation.

After they'd eaten, it became obvious they had to consider that something might have happened to Bucky. He'd been gone a solid five hours, as it was now early afternoon, and they had received no news.

Just as they were discussing which of them was more suitable for a reconnaissance mission, her with a wounded leg but fluid Russian, or him in perfect health but unable to even say hello in the Slavic language, the door to the room opened soundlessly.

Steve's arms were up at once, fists clenched unyieldingly as his gauntlets activated and formed shields over his forearms and Lianka drew her holstered gun so fast she appeared blurred, flipping the safety and pointing the loaded weapon unwaveringly at the intruder.

Bucky raised his arms slowly, a mixed look of amusement and shock painted on his face, his mouth twisted into what might have been a mocking smirk. His human hand held a white bag not unlike the one Lianka had brought from the restaurant and his metal hand loosely held a set of car keys.

"I appreciate the welcome, but if you don't mind…"

Lianka made a strange noise, somewhere between a growl and bark of laughter, but did not lower her gun. "What the fuck took you so long?"

Bucky cocked an eyebrow and glanced at Steve, who had lowered his guard and retracted his gauntlets, but who seemed to share Lianka's sentiment, nonetheless. The Winter Soldier sighed, thinking it prudent not to mock the woman further and slowly laid the bag onto a nearby table, along with the keys, and faced the pair.

"I just wanted to give the two of you ample time to get better… _acquainted_…"

By the way Steve suddenly flushed red, Bucky knew he had struck true. But his amused smirk was cut quite short when Lianka, still aiming at him, moved her index from the guard to the trigger and curled it there menacingly.

"Okay! Okay!" He conceded, quite alarmed. "I tracked down an old contact who I thought could let us know where we stood with Hydra."

Lianka finally lowered her weapon and holstered it. "Was that prudent?"

Bucky shrugged. "Nothing is prudent in these sort of situations… you know this. However, he was able to tell me that we're in more trouble than we thought: although Hydra has no idea where we are, they do suspect we are alive and are actively looking for us… but that's not the worst of it. We're also being tracked by the KGB, at Hydra's demand."

The young woman made a hissing sound, her teeth clenched. "_Blyad_… And you're sure of this? This contact of yours can be trusted?"

Steve was following the exchange without a word, consternation on his face.

Bucky nodded gravely. "He can be trusted. He's an ex-Hydra agent, a defector from years ago. He fled the organization shortly before I myself was… removed. He disagreed strongly with Project Insight because of the sheer control and death toll it would create. I probably would have been tasked with finding and eliminating him if I hadn't been freed. And the only reason he agreed to talk to me at all was because I'm being chased by Hydra and the KGB, meaning I'm on his side now…"

Lianka sat down heavily onto the bed and sighed, hiding her face in her hands.

Steve looked at her, then at his friend, who was wolfing down a fair share of leftover pelmeni, and seemed at a loss himself. "What now?" He asked, unsure.

"Well, we sure as hell can't leave the country legally now… we'll get flagged at the first airport or bus station we reach…" Bucky grumbled between two bites.

Lianka looked up, pensive. "We need to leave through the wilderness… bypass any border. Our best bet is through Estonia, if we stay away from major centers and get our hands on snowmobiles… from there,we beeline through Finland all the way to the north coast and get a boat. One that can get us as far as Svalbard. We'll be able to approach the coordinates we got from the jet and find the Hydra base off the coast. But it's a very long way… might take two weeks. And we have to proceed carefully."

Bucky had delved into the bag of kielbasa. "Well, I got us a car, so we can at least get to Estonia's border without a hassle."

Lianka cocked an eyebrow at him, cautious. "A stolen car?"

"No." The soldier grinned. "My contact had a spare one he said I could take. Made me promise to ditch it somewhere remote and gave me five days before he declares it stolen. It gives us amble time to reach Estonia, from where we cross the border either on foot or with _borrowed _snowmobiles, after which we get through Finland."

"In a _borrowed_ car…" Steve grumbled, very ill at easy with all this theft.

Bucky sent him a sideways glance and hid a cheeky grin. "C'mon Steevie, you're an outlaw now! Gotta get used to all this…"

"I should have signed those Accords…" He grumbled under his breath, but no one cared: everyone present knew very well that Steve would have never signed those papers, no matter how crooked he felt due to his new way of life.

"There's a military surplus store not far from here. We can get some equipment… we'll need a few things if we want to survive a struggle through the Siberian tundra. Mother Russia isn't a kind and forgiving parent." Lianka said softly, her words strangely ominous in the tiny room.

(0)

They were off within the hour. They had paid for the motel for a few more days up front, but they didn't bother to ask for their money back; if anything, the extra days might throw off pursuers, who could be brought to believe the trio was still in the area.

The car Bucky had inherited from his contact was a dingy SUV with big wheels that could probably take on the apocalypse. It wasn't fancy or flashy and looked just like any other Russian vehicle, meaning they would at least remain inconspicuous throughout their ride. Bucky had also managed to find a vast array of dehydrated meals to replenish their stores once he'd learned they would have to make a run for it. At the military surplus store, they geared up with better coats, pants, gloves and hats that would keep them warm even on snowmobiles. At the risk of seeming inconspicuous, given it wasn't the season for outdoor activities, they also purchased tarps and sleeping bags, as well as tiny propane stove that would allow them to cook their meals in the wilderness. Without further due, they packed up and drove off, moving slowly and checking their tail often.

Nowadays, the KGB was vastly considered a disbanded myth. Foreigners and locals alike were led to believe that the organization had fallen after the Cold War, but most people were too clever to fall for the ploy: too many people were still apprehended for petty crimes that involved anti-nationalism and other such ideas… it was clear that the population was still being monitored to some degree by a force bent on remaining secret.

Lianka knew all too well that the KGB was still operational: she'd been a part of it, as had her parents, which she had told both men. The only way for any of them to survive as agents for Wakanda was to hide in plain sight as agents of Russia. She had never delved far into the organization and, as such, did not know how far their reach still extended, but she knew that they could have eyes and ears everywhere.

Their trek north was uneventful, but Steve was glad to see that no awkwardness had seeped in amongst them. Altogether, they acted as though nothing had happened between them, even though he knew that Bucky was probably aware of what had gone down between Lianka and him. The young woman treated them as acquaintances and allies, remaining a tad distant the whole time they were under more stressful circumstances, which made them all feel like they had a strong working relationship.

Bucky checked her leg every day for three days, until he saw the cut had healed properly. Steve could not help but notice that every time his friend touched the young woman, his hand would linger on her bare skin just a moment too long, with just a flash of hesitation that betrayed how much he would have wanted it to stay there. However, Steve also found that he did not mind these brief moments in the least… as much as he felt understood by the young woman, he also knew that Bucky and she shared a common ploy that almost made them kindred spirits. He was glad that his friend had someone like her… someone who understood what it was to be a spy, to be in danger every waking moment, to work for people who you did not want to work for… he figured that Natasha would have gotten along well with Bucky for the same reasons, had she not picked Tony's side.

At the thought of his old friend, who he hadn't seen or heard from in almost a year, Steve grumbled wordlessly and sat back in the passengers seat of the shaky SUV, closing his eyes as he tried to rest a couple hours while Lianka drove and Bucky dozed in the back.

They hadn't stopped much these past three days and they were approaching Estonia, which meant the hard part was yet to come and he suspected he would need his rest.

(0)

That'll be all for now guys, sorry for the long wait. I'm good at finding excuses, but truth to the matter is that I had a lazy period after school ended, where I did a bunch of things and put off writing for the longest time, thinking I'd have time later… then I started working and immediately started doing like 60 hours a week… however, I have calm bouts at my job and can write a bit, so hopefully I'll be able to pick up the pace!

As always, review and thank you so much for your interest in this story, you guys rock!


	8. The stops along the way

Hey, at long last I have returned with a new chapter! It's a fairly long one that I hope you'll enjoy. It does contain some graphic scenes, but all in good consent!

Karina001, Thanks, the job turned out quit fun! This chapter delves into their trip and relationship a bit more, but soon will come actions and twists and turns, I promise. Don't know how many more chapters I have left, that always kind of _happens,_ but I doubt we'll get over 15.

LAWDgivemestrength, glad to hear it and here's a new chapter for you!

, I'm trying to tie this story into the MCU in a manner that makes it work with the universe. Stick around and find out how!

(0)

They reached a small village near the border to Estonia late in the afternoon. Even with the frequent naps she had taken during the trip, Lianka felt pretty tired as they finally parked the car behind an abandoned warehouse, grabbing their gear out of it. Bucky took a moment to remove the license plate and stow it away, knowing he would have to ditch it in the woods someplace far from there. Steve was looking at him quizzically, so the soldier explained.

"All the serial numbers on this old thing have been filed down… without a license plate, it'll take them ages to even begin figuring out where this car came from."

"Your ex-Hydra buddy knew what he was doing…" Lianka sighed, looking around glumly. "Unlike us, it seems. Don't see how we're going to find functioning snowmobiles in this svalka…"

Bucky seemed pensive for a moment. "I thought it through, and maybe… just maybe it might be smarter for us to avoid borrowing anything from here. We'd be too easy to identify and track… I mean… One mysteriously impossible to ID car and three missing snowmobiles? The KGB would have a field day."

"You're suggesting we walk." Steve said bluntly, glancing at Lianka.

The girl noticed and her brow immediately furrowed into a scowl. "I can handle myself."

"You're sure? It's going to be several days of very shitty hiking through knee-high snow…"

She interrupted Captain America with a literal growl, which was muffled heavily by the thick scarf she wore. "I'm an agent, same as you. I've also had my share of enhancing serum. I'll manage."

"I was thinking more of your leg, but…"

"I'll manage." With that, she unwillingly dug out her flagon of pills from the inner pockets of her jackets, swallowing one dryly as she grumbled. The fact that she was still taking those painkillers of hers worried both Steve and Bucky, who exchanged a glance… silently, they instantly agreed about two things: fighting with the obstinate girl would lead nowhere and, if push came to shove, they considered themselves capable of carrying her out of that trip.

"So be it." Bucky sighed. "Follow in our tracks, it'll be easier. If you feel tired before we do, let us know. We'll stop."

She nodded grimly, strapped her pack, which contained food, clothes and a sleeping bag, and marched off down a snowed-in road after the soldiers. Bucky took the front, using a map and a compass to guide them around the tiny village and into the looming, howling wilderness of the Russian tundra.

(0)

The wind stung fiercely and they marched with their heads down, trying to cover themselves from the snow and ice that hit them like angry hail. Lianka said not a word of complaint for over two hours of grueling hiking, relentlessly placing one foot in front of the other, her mind blank as to avoid despairing in her condition. Steve kept glancing back at her and while he was initially surprised by her endurance as she followed them without complaint, he could not help but notice she was slowly falling back as time went by. He himself felt mostly in good shape, as much as was possible after the fight and flight they'd

had over the last few days, anyways. He knew Bucky probably shared his condition and he felt the two of them could go on as long as was necessary.

But under no circumstance would they leave the girl behind. It was more than duty or responsibility at this point… he knew they both shared some sort of connection with her. It was like a friendship, but a little more than that, too… it was hard to define what their relationship was, or even how he felt about it, but he knew that he would not abandon her under any circumstance and neither would his friend.

So when he saw she was falling behind, he nudged Bucky and they slowed their pace.

About a kilometer ahead of them began a thick, pine forest. They had to reach it to find cover from the wind but, more importantly, to hide out from potential agents on their tail. Once there, they would be safe to rest as the howling wind erased their footsteps moments after they had passed. He thought of offering Lianka to carry her, but as he glanced back and met her ferocious, furious gaze like shimmering ice, barely visible beneath her fur hat, he thought twice about it… she had her pride, too. He doubted she'd accept help.

They marched on. They had traded their darker, Wakandan clothes for a light grey sort, which better allowed them to blend in with their surroundings. In the angry hail they traversed, they were almost impossible to see. It took another solid hour to reach the forest, all the while fighting a numbing wind and Bucky found himself wondering, more than once, if he hadn't made a wrong choice by making them walk instead of ride to Estonia. He and Steve dragged their feet a bit as to carve a better path for Lianka, who was holding strong behind them, relentlessly advancing even as the weather threatened to push her back to Russia.

Reaching the cover of those pine trees came as a blessing. Bucky immediately turned to Steve and both men grabbed Lianka as she stumbled in amidst the pines, fighting to get her scarf away from her mouth and drawing deep, exhausted breaths.

"_Svyatoye der'mo_…" She gasped and almost collapsed to her knees. Both soldiers conceded and crouched down near her, letting her take her breath. "Rodina does not want to let me leave…"

Bucky chuckled darkly and all three took a moment to look about them. The pines were short, as this was the tundra, but they grew tightly together and offered abundant protection from the storm that raged beyond. The trees shivered and swayed angrily in the wind, but there was much less snow on the ground here and the gale could not seem to sneak in amidst them.

"Let's move just a bit deeper and make camp for the night." Bucky offered gently.

Lianka looked like she was about to oppose him, not wanting to slow them down, but by the looks both men sent her, she sat silent with a huff, knowing she would not change their minds.

So they crept a bit further, pushing aside scratchy branches that grasped at them like greedy hands, and settled down in the crook of a few trees that had lost their lower branches and offered a steady canopy overhead that would protect them from snow and sleet. Lianka set about spreading out one tarp on the ground to lay their sleeping bags on while Steve fixed the other one over their heads to offer protection. Bucky, the self-appointed cook, melted snow in a small pot to refill their water supply and then proceeded to boil up three dehydrated meal bags, upon which they chowed down eagerly. They'd eaten well these last three days, but they all knew that what was about to come would be hard and they

would need every calorie… Lianka even more than both men. With that done, they conferred in low voices about their next course of action, pouring over the map Bucky had brought from his ex-Hydra ally. They'd covered very little ground today, but the forest that they had reached spanned all the way into Estonia and they expected they would travel much faster these next few days, under the cover of pines and out of the dangerous weather. At some point, they would pass the border, which would theoretically be a cleanly cut line through the forest which was, again theoretically, patrolled by border agents on a regular basis. It would probably be the only time they would actually have to take care of their actions, as they might get caught there.

After their meeting, the bundled down into their sleeping bags for the night, Lianka in between both men. She had to admit there was a certain advantage to being flanked by the two super soldiers: out in this cold, they emitted a very respectable amount of heat that managed to keep her warm, even through the coldest hours of the Siberian night, during which she had initially doubted they would be able to sleep. Atop that, sometime during the night Bucky freed his metal arm, which was not subject to the harshness of the climate, and managed to snake it around her form, pulling her closer to him. Behind her, Steve had cuddled so closely to her that she could feel him pressing against the entire length of her body.

It brought her a sense of safety she had never thought she'd feel again and, irrevocably, a terrible, complex sadness.

(0)

As expected, the next day went much better. After a quick breakfast and cup of instant coffee, they packed up and set out again. The only issue they had throughout their trip was having to zigzag amidst the pines to find their way where there were less trees, but Bucky kept them going in the right direction, checking his compass every few minutes. They lunched around noon and set out again, no one speaking much, as they knew they had keep their strength and focus about them if they wanted to pull through this trip.

Nonetheless, a curious thing happened come evening. Without really consulting one another, they somehow agreed to zip their bags together as to form one, bigger bag that the three of them could fit into. Steve found himself questioning just how this decision had come to be and if he could justify it simply by telling himself they were agreeing to share warmth in the freezing night… as they slipped into the bags fully clothed, he knew Lianka had spooned up to Bucky, who had wrapped his metal arm around her, curling his human one beneath his head for comfort. Before he could so much as hesitate, the girl's strong, scarred hands found his arms and gently seized him behind the triceps, inviting him closer by pulling him to her. Steve did not hesitate, pressing himself to the young woman until her legs entwined his and her face pressed to his chest.

He could not see Bucky's face, but knew very well that his best friend was probably smirking that wolfish smirk of his, knowing how his face had suddenly gotten red and flushed, even in this biting cold.

(0)

Morning found them in an odd state of mind. Their relationship had changed overnight, there was no denying that, and there was a growing tension in their ranks… Steve found it was not the sort of tension that led to conflict, but rather the sort of tension that could explode into something very intense given

the slightest spark. He did not think he'd ever lived anything quite as peculiar, save for the time he was running from Shield/Hydra with Nat and their relationship was threatening to go over the friendship border… until he had made it clear he did not want it to head that way, and that threatening, hungry sensation had died away unseeingly.

On this second day, they spoke even less and were a tenfold more focused upon their task: getting to Estonia unseen. It was as though there lay another goal over there, in the distant, unforeseeable future, one that was beyond simply escaping the country to survive… whatever had bloomed between the three of them would be resolved once they could take a moment to breathe in Estonia…

Neither of them said it, but they all thought the same things: they were eager to resolve this tension.

That day, late in the afternoon, they reached the border.

There was indeed a cleanly cut out line along the border amidst the small pines, about a dozen meters across and stretching far left and right, a ways beyond their sight. Upon the ground, in the freshly buffeted snow, were some clearly outlined snowmobile tracks; they could not be more than a few hours old. The trio retreated into the safety of the woods to confer.

"Passing through will leave tracks. They'll probably see them the second they make their rounds." Bucky whispered, pensive.

"Not if they're not looking for them…" Lianka proposed softly.

"A risk we can't afford."

"How about we wait for the next round to pass and cross immediately after? It would give us time to get further ahead and might allow nature to erase our steps." Steve shrugged and Bucky shook his head slowly.

"We have no way of knowing how often they patrol this area and even if we let one patrol pass, nothing says the other country's men won't come through soon after…"

Lianka snapped her fingers, which made little sound due to the thick gloves she wore. "A deer trail!" She exclaimed. When both men looked at her with confusion, she smiled into her scarf. "Reindeer pass through these forests all the time. I saw tracks a bunch of times over the last two days… they must pass through this section as well and probably use a single track. If we can find one, there might be enough traffic to kind of hide our own…"

"Good thinking, doll." Bucky smiled warmly and she grinned at him. They picked up their stuff and set out, deciding to head one kilometer north and, if they found nothing, double back and try the south route. They dared not stray too far from their path: food supplies were dwindling and they were aiming for a calm Estonian village they figured they might find transport in.

Luck was on their side, it seemed: just as they were nearing the one kilometer mark, Lianka, her blue eyes sharp as ever, spotted a set of reindeer tracks headed for the cleanly cut line between borders. Those single tracks were joined by more and when they emerged into the open sky, a thick trail of several dozen reindeer could be clearly spotted on the ground, deep and true.

Checking both sides for approaching snowmobiles, Lianka went first. Steve followed, carefully stepping into the small tracks she made and Bucky closed the march, glad to see that their careful steps were barely visible amidst those made by the big beasts.

And just like that, they were in Estonia. The trio set out anew, walking swiftly through the trees, their goal just within reach.

Through the forest and the wilderness, they followed Bucky without question. He guided them skilfully, sometimes stopping briefly to check his map and compass in the howling cold, taking a moment to position them before they set off again, making a beeline for one of the small villages that bordered Russia. When they stopped, even momentarily, Lianka always gravitated towards Steve, letting the Winter soldier do his thing, while she sought warmth and shelter from the wind against the Captain's strong chest. It had slightly startled him at first, as it had to sleep next to her in their joined sleeping bags, but Steve found he quickly grew accustomed to the girl and her proximity and even came to reach out for her when they paused.

She was hiding it well, but he could tell she was in pain and exhausted. She had trekked without word farther than he ever could have thought possible, but he could see that she did not have their stamina, in the end: every once in a while, she would reach out for her trusted flagon of pain pills and swallow one without flinching. At times, he thought she felt a bit warm to the touch… he hoped she wasn't coming down with a cold. In these conditions, it might mean her death…

When they finally reached a road, after days spent crossing the border, it happened so suddenly that all three of them stopped dead in a sort of stupor, staring incoherently at the twisting pavement, which appeared to have been cleared of snow rather recently.

Lianka seemed to sway on her feet and Bucky seized her by the arm without even glancing at her, helping her down from the snowy hill upon which they stood while Steve followed carefully behind.

The wind and cold were barely any less forgiving here, but at least they no longer had to fight through knee-high snow in order to advance. All three bowed their heads to the harsh elements and pushed on wordlessly, so very close to their goal.

The village they had been aiming for appeared from the snowdrifts with as much surprise as the road. Suddenly, they glanced up and could discern the first few houses that foretold of civilisation. This time, they did not stop, only huffed in unison and pushed forward without word, both men glancing at their female partner, who seemed to be walking with renewed vigor.

There was a tiny motel in the town, right next to a sort of convenience store that also doubled as a hardware store and pharmacy. They stumbled in through the door, letting the bell above it chime happily and were greeted by such warmth, emanating from a nearby fireplace, that Steve heard himself audibly sigh, instantly invigorated by the crackling flames.

Behind a small wooden counter, an elderly gentleman sat up and greeted them with a curious smile in a dialect that Steve realised sounded absolutely nothing like the Russian they'd been surrounded with these last few days… he gaped at the men and realised that Bucky had come up short as well, his face crumpling into a frown as he tried to figure out how to answer this man that he obviously did not understand.

Lianka pulled off her thick hat and gloves, laying them upon the counter as she greeted the man in an utmost friendly tone, a warm smile spitting her face, speaking the same language as he.

The man's face had begun to form into doubt as he stared at the two huge soldiers, but rapidly returned to polite kindness when he spoke gladly with Lianka, nodding and listening to whatever it was she was telling him.

Bucky found that he could now understand how Steve had felt in Russia. Standing here with a placid face he hoped did not seem hostile, he felt utterly useless as Lianka cheerily saved them with her flawless Estonian and the man before her seemed absolutely enubilated with her friendly persona as she obviously booked them a room and payed the few Euros the man asked for.

He handed her a key, gave her direction and just like that, they were out of his hair. Steve nodded politely and Bucky chanced a smile, neither of which seemed to put the man at easy anywhere near as much as Lianka just had.

She led them back out into the cold, where they caught up to her.

"What just happened?" Steve asked.

"I saved the both of you, that's what just happened. What? Did you think we could go around parading through Eastern Europe and the North while speaking Russian and English like a bunch of escaped tourists? Draws too much attention…"

Bucky was grinning, impressed. "You speak Estonian…"

"That, and many more, _krasivyy_. You just never bothered to ask."

Steve did nothing to hide his astonishment. "But… what did you tell him?"

She rolled her eyes a bit and oddly, blushed, as they reached the door to the room they'd been given. "That our car broke down a few kilometers out of town and we needed a place to stay while it got fixed. And… that you were my brothers… I sort of panicked, there."

Bucky chuckled and pushed open the door to the room as she unlocked it. All three of them stepped inside and were greeted by a clean and comfortable little room with two beds. The place was nice and warm without being stifling and a faint aroma of lavender seemed to waft through the air.

"Thank you, Lia… you really…" Steve began, but his words seemed to die away as he watched her rapidly unbutton her coat, which she threw aside, before slipping from the warm pants she wore. Her boots came off next, thrown aside carelessly and she turned to both men while removing her remaining upper layers without a hint of embarrassment. Next to Steve, Bucky was slowly doing the same, a strange sort of look illuminating his sharp eyes as they fixed upon the girl and did not seem to want to move away.

Steve crossed her gaze and… he considered leaving them be, just the two of them, for a split moment, but then she crossed the gap between them in two graceful steps and suddenly her hands were working at the buttons of his coat, while the soft light danced in shadows upon her bare torso. She still wore her pants and socks and he found that it was almost more intimidating to see her half-naked like this than without anything on. His coat came off and she was quick to work on the layers of shirts he wore underneath.

Steve glanced at Bucky with an unsure gaze, but his friend was looking away pointedly while slowly removing his remaining clothes, a very coy sort of smirk playing with his features as he tried to hide how amused he was by Steve's slight panic.

The blonde glanced down at the lovely girl that was now down to unbuckling his pants and knew it was a matter of seconds before she confirmed just how aroused he truly was.

"Did you… two plan th-…" His words caught in his throat and were replaced by a deep groan as she slipped her small hand into his pants and rubbed those unforgiving fingers over his growing erection. Steve tried to protest, he really did, but suddenly Lianka was on her tiptoes in from of him, her other hand catching his blond hair behind his head as she forced him down towards her lips. Their kiss started off soft and a tad unsure on his part, but rapidly morphed into something hungry and passionate. His hands rose, almost automatically, and found her bare breasts, which he seized and gently caressed, drawing a soft sigh from her mouth as it pressed harder into his.

Bucky appeared behind her and his hands found the nape of her neck, squeezing her just tightly enough that it drew a long shiver of pleasure across her entire being. His metal hand was cold, and the temperature variation only served to entice her more as his fingers caressed her down her back, dexterously reaching her pants to work them loose. He himself wore nothing more than his briefs, which in no way managed to hide his hard, throbbing member.

"We _might_ have spoken about it, yes…" Bucky admitted softly as he went down to his knees behind the girl, pulling her pants down as he went. Lianka obediently stepped out of them and he threw the pants aside, his mouth finding the soft skin of her bare behind, alternating between kisses and sharp nips over her skin that drew a tiny moan from within her throat. She pulled away from her kiss with Steve and pressed her lips together in an adorably guilty look that broke through whatever was left of his resolve. It did not help that her hands had freed his hard cock from his briefs and that she was working up and down his length with a sure, steady pressure that kept him put and wanting for more of her touch.

Bucky seized her roughly by the hips and spun her around so that she was pressing her back against Steve. It forced her to let go of his throbbing erection, which drew and almost animal growl from his lips, but his cock was now tightly pressed against her lower back and ass, where every motion of her hips rubbed him dangerously and drew an altogether different groan from him. Steve felt an almost animal instinct take over: his mind went blank as to any coherent thoughts… all he wanted was to pleasure her, to have her pretty mouth around his cock, to watch his best friend fuck this girl that had seeped into his life not a week ago… he did not try to understand it. He simply wrapped his arms around her and found her perky breasts, cupping them and squeezing her nipples until she hissed and bucked against him, grinding against his erection.

Meanwhile, Bucky swung one of her legs over his shoulder, still crouching before her. Steve heard her gasp a stream of unintelligible things in what he assumed was Russian as his friend's mouth found her wet cunt and began lapping at it hungrily, nipping at her swollen clit and sucking at it as she pressed her body harder into Steve, moaning loudly, unable to control herself. One of her hands dove down into Bucky's dark locks, entwining in them to keep him in place and the other rose up and to Steve's hair, which she grasped a though it might help keep her steady. She was grinding hard against him, her hips swaying into the pleasure she felt as he drew a line of soft bites down her neck and to her shoulder, all the while playing with her breasts.

It took only moments for her to reach her peak and she bucked hard against Steve, Bucky's metal hand squeezing roughly into the soft skin of her thighs. Lianka threw her head back and Steve instinctively raised a hand to cover her mouth as she bit back a scream of pleasure that he assumed would have been heard all the way to the street. No better way to blow their cover…

Waves of pleasure wrecked though her in long shivers until finally he felt her relax a bit in his grip… Bucky gently lowered her leg back down and steadied her by the hips as she swayed, looking up at her with that coy little grin, his unkempt beard slick with her desire. Steve wrapped his arms around her securely until she found her breath again, his fingers caressing her warm, soft skin as he kissed her neck, her shoulders, her hair… Lianka was whispering in Russian, her eyes closed as she recovered from an orgasm that was days overdue.

Bucky rose and her eyes flickered open, hungry lust shining within them, nonetheless. He caressed her face and glanced at Steve, who could do no better to hide the dangerous arousal he felt, his hands still exploring the girl as though he was touching her for the first time.

"Our turn…" The Winter soldier said softly, pulling Lianka gently away from Steve, who let her go very unwillingly. "Steve, stop pouting and just lay down on the bed. Trust me."

The blond man rolled his eyes in mock annoyance but did as he was told. Truthfully, he'd never been in a situation even remotely resembling a threesome… he assumed that Bucky had had his share of these and could do no better than to trust his friend. Especially since he'd apparently sort of planned this out with Lianka… a subject he would have to broach with them at some point, seeing as he was pretty much herded into this situation… not that he minded, but still…

Lianka was steady on her feet anew. Steve finished removing his pants and laid down on the edge of one of the two beds, propping himself up on his elbows in order to keep watching her as she came closer. He noted the lustful shine to her eyes, the delicate sway of her hips as she came towards him… the wound she'd received from Liev had healed, leaving behind nothing but a white scar that marred her otherwise flawless skin. She walked up to the bed and crawled onto it, until she was directly above him, her blond locks falling around her lovely, flushed face. Lianka dipped down and met his mouth with renewed passion and he returned the kiss without thought, both of his hands flying up to tangle in her hair. One of her hands snuck down to his member and he groaned longingly as she seized him and began pumping her fist up and down slowly.

Behind her, the mattress dipped as Bucky climbed up to join the pair, his own briefs gone, one hand around his hard cock as his metal one found the girl's hips, caressing harshly and digging into her skin hungrily. She moaned lightly and broke away from her kiss with Steve, her hips automatically bucking towards the man behind her as she yearned to be touched, to be filled…

"Lia…" Bucky whispered, his voice hoarse from trying to keep a lid of his desire. "You're sure you want to…"

She pushed away from Steve, her knees of either side of his hips and rose until she pressed her ass against Bucky's cock, her hands reaching for his face as she pulled him into a long, wild kiss over her shoulder. She could taste herself on his lips and that along caused her to moan against his mouth as she guided his hand towards her wet sex, urging him to touch her…

"_Da, krasivyy…_ just go slow." Her voice was as hoarse as his and she went back to Steve, who could not help but feel like he'd been thoroughly left out of whatever conversation they'd had about this chain of events… but then her mouth found his against and her agile hand resumed working on his painfully hard cock and forgot that he minded…

Behind her, Bucky slipped one finger into her soaking cunt, then two, pumping in and out of her gently, drawing a long, howling moan from her as her hips immediately started following. With an impressive amount of wetness on his fingers, he withdrew them from her, which earned him a very disappointed groan. At this point, Steve seemed to have finally caught on onto what was about to happen, because his own hand went down to replace Bucky's causing a fresh wave of pleasure to course through her body as his rough fingers found her yearning clit.

Bucky gently slipped one finger into her ass and the ensuing, deep moan of pleasure that it drew from her had him gritting his teeth… just the sound she was making was enough to send a painfully pleasurable wave through his core, which in turn threatened to have him completely lose control. Instead, he took his time, metal hand digging into the tender skin of her hips as his human fingers slowly worked her ass, preparing her for what would come next… they'd very briefly broached on the subject of a threesome during their recent travel; Bucky had needed to know if this was something she wanted, if she was willing… by the warm flush of her cheeks as she'd answered, he'd understood it was practically something she'd been hoping for.

"You ready, doll?" He whispered as her hips kept rising to meet his motions and the moans escaping her mouth were slowly mounting in urgency.

"_Da, soldat_…" Steve's hand was playing with her in all the right places and she was almost on the edge of another orgasm… Bucky grabbed his throbbing cock, running his thumb over the head with a hiss to spread the precum over it and help ease him into her ass.

He went gently, careful to make slow motions as not to hurt her. She let out a slightly pained moan, but Steve pulled her in for a rough, demanding kiss and slipped two fingers into her soaking sex to distract her from the discomfort. It worked, because her hips bucked anew as she groaned with pleasure… it was all Bucky could do to stay focused and remain in control of himself, as he slowly inched his way into her tight ass, every single one of her motions ripping a lustful growl from his lips.

When he was full sheathed inside her, she let out a longing, hungry moan and broke away from her kiss with Steve, her hand still tight around his erection. She stared into his blue eyes, wide and lustful and spoke almost pleadingly. "_Spacibo…_" Her voice was a begging moan and he needed no more to convince him to give her what she wanted.

He let her guide his cock to her opening and followed her motions slowly, letting her take the lead. He slipped into her with ease, her sex soaking wet and felt the thrumming tightness of her cunt, which was nearly too much too bear. With the two super soldiers within her, Lianka let out a shaky breath, trapped in a nearly perpetual wave of pleasure and an enticing feeling of fullness. She hadn't done this in a long time… she'd almost forgotten how much she loved the feeling.

Bucky was the one to start moving, slowly at first, but with an increasing pace. He seized her by the hips, his metal hand almost harsh enough to leave a bruise, and all Steve had to do was follow the motions, his own hands jumping up to cup her breasts with a roughness he had not used before. Lianka moaned wolfishly, biting down on her lips as her pleasure grew rapidly… her nails were digging claw marks into Steve's chest, but he did not care, his eyes riveted on the ferally aroused woman as she rode him and his friend with demanding motions.

Lianka threw back her head, mouth open as she swore and this time it was Bucky who covered her scream of pleasure as she came from their double penetration, eyes rolling back into her skull… her whole body shook from the force of her orgasm as she kept swaying her hips in a slightly more chaotic manner, trying to keep their pace. Steve did not think he would last much longer than she did, and as her orgasm continued violently and he felt her cunt squeeze around him, he groaned loudly as his own limit was reached… he came into her with a long growl, with a pleasure so intense he had not thought it possible.

Bucky was the last, just seconds later, and his hand slipped from her mouth and to her neck as he came within her with a long, hungry groan. Lianka pushed against him, another wave of sheer pleasure wracking her exhausted body… she called out his name and Steve's name and a whole plethora of Russian swears as, at long last, she rode out her final orgasm wildly.

There was an aura of utter shock about them as they slowed to a stop, panting. They disentangled slowly, gently, and laid down, all three of them, in the small motel bed, never saying a word. Lianka barely had the time to sigh that her eyes were shut, and she was asleep, completely spent.

Bucky swung his human arm over her bare stomach as he laid beside her and Steve swung his arm over her chest as he took the same position on her other side. Both men glanced at each other and seemed to share an identical, vapid grin upon their faces, which was accompanied by a harmless shrug that spoke volumes… they drifted off to sleep just as quickly as she had.

(0)

I had to include that damned threesome, it was trotting around my head too much. Hopefully it won't feel too out of character and I properly built up the relationship for it. Let me know what you guys think!


	9. Seabound

Hello again. I know, I know… long time no write. But I have not given up, and here I am! I don't think there are many chapters left to this story, but then again it can be hard to guess, even with a vague idea laid out. The plot is going to thicken soon enough and I promise a good twist up ahead on this crazy road. Enjoy!

Karina, your comment made me lol. Indeed, that serum can do miracles!

LAWDgivemestrength, thanks for letting me know… I had doubts about the scene but just couldn't avoid it, somehow. Glad to hear that it was not too OOC for this story. Thanks!

(0)

Bucky woke up slowly, in a state of nearly drunken disarray, what seemed like a lifetime later. He pushed himself up and out of the bed with a groan as he ran a hand through his messy hair, assessing just how easily he'd gone out like a light after…

After…

He looked around himself and recognized the quaint motel room. He looked beside himself and recognized Steve, who was slowly stirring himself awake… Bucky could not suppress a slightly crooked grin as memories of their arrival here returned to him; vivid, hungry memories that caused a renewed passion to awaken beneath his skin, a flare of heat that traveled all through his being.

Steve's eyes split open as he too returned to this wild reality of theirs. His gaze crossed his best friends' and a flush creeped up onto his face.

"Jesus, Buck… what the Hell happened?"

Bucky just winked and smirked. "What, didn't like it?"

He couldn't lie to himself and say he wasn't amused by how distraught his comment seemed to make his friend, who grumbled out a non-committal answer as his eyes swept the room, searching for their one missing party member.

Bucky glanced around as well: where _was_ Lianka, and how had she managed to crawl out from between them while they slept, without waking them up?

The soldier tensed for a moment, until he realised he could hear the shower running in the adjacent room. Almost as if on cue, it stopped abruptly and they heard a bit of rummaging around behind the closed door, before Lianka emerged to join them, her hair wet, smelling clean and wrapped in a white towel. She flashed them a stunningly innocent smile as both men watched her walk past, one with eyes of unhidden lust, the other with a shy sort of apprehension. She stripped out of her towel without even a glance at them, pretending she couldn't notice their hungry stares and proceeded to get dressed in a pair of fresh clothes, all the while pointedly ignoring them.

"Good morning, doll." Bucky growled softly as she finally finished and turned around to face them, a hint of amusement glinting in her icy eyes.

"Good morning, _prekrasnyy_." She winked. "Get washed and dressed. We can't stay here."

"How long have we slept?" Steve asked as he threw his legs over the side of the bed to sit upon it, rubbing sleep from his eyes and hair.

"Through the night." She smiled.

"Why the sudden rush?" Bucky asked, never missing a beat as his brow furrowed. He knew they had to remain on the move as to avoid being spotted or drawing attention to themselves, but he was wondering why Lianka was so keen to depart right away. Surely they could have allowed themselves another day of rest…

Her mouth twisted into a little grimace. "I have a bad feeling… and the sooner we can get all this behind us, the better I will feel."

Lianka finished getting dressed and left them alone with nothing more than one of her sad little smiles, exiting out into the howling cold of a winter morning. Slightly confused, both men glanced at each other and shrugged, suddenly unsure what they should make of the girl… one moment they thought they understood her and had access to her soul and the next… the next she seemed as placid as a stranger might be. Bucky could almost say he understood why she was like this: she was a spy, just as he had once been. He knew of the psychological walls one could build in such a situation… the myriad of facades one would have to wear in order to survive the dangerous, treacherous underbelly of society. In his case, those walls and faces had been built for him, as he was tortured and stripped of his very humanity in order to serve his masters… even so, he still felt at times as though something about Lianka was escaping him…

Steve, on the other hand, had no idea what to think. He hadn't had many relationships in his life and the few women he'd encountered had been as far from conventional as it was possible to get. He could guess that Lianka was beyond his comprehension, but how far beyond… that he could not tell.

Soundlessly agreeing, the two soldiers decided to push the matter from their mind for the time being. Bucky headed for the shower while Steve pulled on his briefs and a shirt, preparing them some coffee and food over the little camp stove they'd used in the wilderness. It was not long before his friend emerged from the bathroom, gratefully taking a mug of black brew, allowing Steve to wash up in turn. The blonde soldier felt almost instantly better when they steaming water hit his skin… years on the terrain, from the great war to his missions with the Avengers, had gotten him used to going days and weeks without the comfort of a soft bed and warm shower, but he had to admit that those comforts were very much welcome when they could be enjoyed.

When he came out of the bathroom, wearing a set of fresh clothes, he found that Lianka had returned and was sitting across from Bucky at the tiny table they had in the room. They were talking softly and she turned those ferocious eyes of hers upon him when she heard him join them… Steve's heart seemed to skip a beat when their gazes crossed. There was a very complex sort of emotion painted in the blue of her eyes…he did not think he could ever understand it.

"Ready to leave, _blondin_?" She asked with a wolfish sort of smile that almost made him blush, all the while chugging down her mug of coffee to the dregs at the bottom.

Steve grimaced and turned to pack up the rest of his things.

"Lia got us a car." Bucky stated in an amused sort of tone that hid a touch of surprise, almost as though he could not believe the feat.

Steve glanced at the scheming pair. "A _borrowed_ car?"

"No." She rolled her eyes at him. "I bought it. From the gentleman who rented us the room. I explained that the repairs on our own car were going to be too extensive and we weren't going to fix it, but we needed something else to travel with. I told him we were travelling down to Poland to visit family, then I asked if he knew anyone who wanted to sell their car and it just so happens he had one… now, we're Sunday so we cannot transfer ownership before tomorrow, but he was kind enough to print all the necessary papers out, which we filled and I promised we'd go tomorrow, first thing…"

"By which time we are going to be in Norway, by the sea, where that car will vanish from existence." Bucky added. The lack of emotion in his voice was a tad unsettling and, for the umpteenth time, Steve had to remind himself that his friend had lived a very different life, which had led to him acquiring strange habits and a slightly twisted view of the world.

Without much else to be said about the trip, they set out, careful to wipe down their room of fingerprints and check that nothing there could lead back to them.

The vehicle they'd acquired was an old, greyish Fiat which seemed ready to fall apart at the first gust of wind. However, as they packed into it and Lianka seated herself behind the wheel of the tight vehicle, they found that the interior was reasonably comfortable. A few hours on the road convinced them that the stout little thing was tougher than it seemed, purring along soundlessly through the freezing conditions.

They drove quaintly, never above the speed limit and each one of them kept a sharp eye out on the road for any vehicle that might look as though it was following them. All the way to Tallinn, where they were lucky enough to board a daily ferry across the Gulf of Finland, none of them spotted anything out of the ordinary. They snoozed briefly during the trip on the waters and arrived in Helsinki shortly after, where they paused only briefly to fill the Fiat with gas and restock on food.

They drove in five hour shifts across Finland, barely talking.

At some point, nearly a day into the ride, there came a moment when Steve was driving, Lianka was daydreaming beside him and Bucky was snoozing in the back, his arms folded across his chest and his somber face folded into a frown. Nothing had been said these past few hours, so when Steve broke the silence in a slightly hoarse voice, it startled even him.

"Would you leave this life?"

Lianka blinked and turned her gaze from the snowy outdoors, where it had been lost, and fixed it with curiosity upon the blond man.

"What do you mean?"

Steve cleared his throat gently, careful not to wake Bucky.

"If you could… would you turn away from this life you lead right now and try for something… something…"

"Normal?" She supplied, amused. Lianka chuckled sadly. "This is all I've ever known… all I've ever been… I don't think I could live with normal."

There was a moment of thoughtful silence between them.

"Perhaps…" She sighed and Steve glanced at her, curious. "Perhaps I would not seek normal… maybe I would try for something different. I've lived my life doing… this… with no hope of ever changing that, of every aspiring to something else. But if I could… perhaps I would vie for something different. You know?"

He remained silent. Did he know? He did not know her… he did not know anything anymore…

"Would you?" She broke him from his reverie. "Would you leave your life?"

"I did." He admitted, profound sadness leaking into his tone. His blue eyes seemed to darken, as though a storm passed behind them. "I left my life. Everything that I had built and believed in, along with those I called my friends. I left it all behind to follow what I thought was right… and there are days… there are days I wonder if I made a mistake."

She nodded slowly. "We all wonder that. You're not alone." Her hand, suddenly shy and timid, inched towards where his was rested on the gear shift and their fingers entwined a bit clumsily, squeezing hopefully for some measure of comfort. Steve felt a jolt like fire run through him at her touch. "There are days we all wonder if it could not have been different, if we chose the right path in the end… I believe… I believe that we simply need to look forward, to move towards a future goal and set our sights on bettering our fate… regret will lead us nowhere."

He remained silent, thoughtful, but her words rang very true.

The trip continued without a sound.

(0)

They passed the border into Norway while Lianka slept in the back and both men sat in the front, brooding and talking very little. They'd agreed to head to a northern port that bordered the Barents Sea, in a tiny town so remote it was a wonder it hadn't been abandoned when the fishing industry had dwindled in popularity with the new generation. But it was also precisely why they were headed there: Lianka had apparently been there previously and knew of a sheer cliff that overlooked the town, where they could careen their tiny Fiat into the depths of the unforgiving, stormy sea. Many of the houses there were now abandoned and no one kept watch over that particular spot, meaning no one would report the sinking vehicle. She knew that the fishing boats moored in the tiny port there were old and rickety, but surprisingly sturdy and would be able to sail them out to Svalbard without problem. It was a place where people very rarely now set sail, so it might even be a few days before anyone realised they'd commandeered one of the rusted vessels.

As expected, they arrived to the cliff over the sea just as the sun was setting, almost uncannily early in these cold months. They had to pick a stony, twisting path to reach the overlooking edge, but the sturdy Fiat made the trip without complaint. The trio then proceeded to grab all their things from the vehicle, careful to again wipe down all surfaces to remove their prints, and rolling down all the windows before Steve and Bucky effortlessly rolled the inconspicuous vehicle to the cliff's edge. Lianka watched it take the plunge suddenly, vanishing from sight. A few seconds later, the faint sound of a crash could be heard and, as they looked down over the edge in the dying sunlight, they could just barely make out the Fiat disappearing into the agitated waves as water poured in through its windows.

Steve sighed, biting at his lip uncomfortably.

"Hey." Lianka gave him a little tap, trying to cheer him up as he obviously felt bad about their actions. "The man who sold it to us got paid for it, at least… we didn't steal it. We just can't take any risks…"

"I know…" Steve shrugged helplessly. "I just can't get used to… to this. All this covert, law-breaking spy stuff… I'm… I was a soldier. I always followed honor and it's just…"

Bucky rolled his eyes and shoved his friend playfully. "C'mon you wimp. Suck it up."

Steve shot him a slightly dirty look, but they could tell he wasn't really angry. He was just upset and, more importantly, out of his element. Where Bucky and Lianka had lived a crooked life for years, he'd only been at it since he'd had to flee the United States after the Sokovia Accords disaster. This was still new to him… and he might never get used to it, not with the mindset he'd acquired across his life.

Before they set out, Lianka took a moment to absently fish through her pockets, pulling out her trusted flacon of pills, of which she took one without flinching. Bucky frowned at her mechanical motions.

"Lia… are you alright?"

She seemed to snap out of a deep thought, glancing at him, before glancing down at the pills in her hand, almost as though she didn't even remember taking them out. Lianka smiled gently, but both Steve and Bucky instantly saw that there was something hidden beneath that sad little expression.

"Yes, don't worry. These are… these are for something else. Not for pain. It's a long story."

"Care to share?" Steve asked as they set out from the cliff's edge, slowly making their way across the frozen road and down into the fishing town below.

"No." She shook her head and smiled again. "It's nothing important, and I don't want to talk about it now… perhaps some other time."

Her words were soft and kind, but her tone was final: she would not budge. Bucky nodded slowly and shrugged it from his mind for the time being, all business, but Steve could not help but feel at tad uneasy, all of a sudden… he tried to recall if Lianka had been taking those pills since the first time they'd seen her, in the safe house, and he found he couldn't remember. They were contained in an unmarked plastic box and neither their shape, color or size coincided with anything he'd seen in the past. Did she take them regularly?… at varying hours?...he could not recall.

Steve vowed to keep an eye on this consumption of hers, at least until she took the time to properly explain to them what she was doing. He did not want to jump to conclusions, but a secret such as hers could compromise their team and potentially put them in danger… he remained vigilant.

(0)

The boat they chose was a small fishing vessel, her teal shell spotted with rust, rising and falling in the agitated sea at the very end of one of the rotting, slippery docks that dotted the village's shore. They made their way to the boat in the night's complete and oppressive darkness, carefully stepping on creaking planks that threatened to crumble beneath their weight. Once inside, they set their things into a corner and both Lianka and Bucky began looking around carefully, evaluating their environment. She had a bit of experience in sailing as part of a hobby she'd picked up a few years ago, and Bucky had been drilled on the matter during his training as the Winter Soldier, so they were technically capable of getting this tub of rust out into the open sea without anyone dying.

Steve stood out of their way, completely distraught by this activity he'd never really participated in and watched with just a tiny bit of jealousy as the pair started operating the vessel so terribly naturally, working in tandem while barely having to speak. Bucky foraged beneath the steering console, crossing wires until the boat's grumbling engine sputtered to life. Lianka was immediately leaping outside, graceful and swift, even on the rocking ground beneath her feet, her hands undoing the thick ropes that tied them to the dock. Holding on to the rusted railings, she threw herself overboard, pressing her feet hard into the dock's edge and pushing until she managed to swing them away from the dock and out into the angry sea. Steve joined her outside, slightly throw off balance by the unnatural swinging of the boat amidst the waves, and helped her safely back into the boat.

"Spacibo…" She whispered as they held on to one another for a moment longer than necessary.

Just as Steve made a motion to pull away and let her go, she raised a gentle hand and slipped it behind his neck, drawing him down to her for a soft, almost chaste kiss.

It lasted but a moment and she was already pulling away, a cryptic smile painted upon her features. Lianka slipped back inside with a wink that left the blond soldier mesmerized and somewhat confused, staring back into the rapidly fading lights of the town they had left behind, in Norway.

(0)

Steve discovered quite quickly that he was in no way cut out for the marine life. The boat's constant swaying in the pitch blackness of night gave him the worst feeling of sickness he'd ever experienced and he was forced to sit down on a corner chair down in the quarters, his head held between his hands. Apparently, not even the super-soldier serum could save him from a terrible case of motion sickness.

Meanwhile, Lianka and Bucky were navigating the rusted tub towards Svalbard, to the coordinates they'd acquired from HYDRA's jet. Neither said anything as they remained serious, their faces crossed with identical frowns. They'd hadn't said a thing to Steve to avoid worrying him, but both knew that they were currently in a considerable amount of danger: they'd all omitted the very important fact that the winter months were in no way suited for sailing. In their rushed desire to remain below the radar and reach Svalbard, neither had considered that the sea would be very rough at this time of year. Lianka was suddenly doubtful if the decrepit boat would survive the waves they were breaching… at times, it felt as though they were well over twenty meters in height.

Bucky spoke to her only to confirm information from their wonky equipment and to ask her to adjust the front spotlight, which allowed him to guide the boat straight into the giant waves, assuring they would not be toppled over sideways. The girl operated swiftly and methodically, never once betraying any signs of stress or fear. He found he had to admire her stoic image: years as a spy, facing death on a daily basis, had clearly shaped her into a being of exceptional hardness.

They were at it for hours, tense and focused, but as dawn finally started breaching to their starboard side, Lianka realised that the waves they rode were smaller, that the howling wind was blowing just a bit less harshly and that Bucky's metal hand was crushing the steering wheel just a tad less intensely.

Indeed, not a half hour after the sun had risen, they passed into an almost quaint part of the sea, the waves lapping at their flanks playfully, and the wind blowing gently against the bow. Steve finally emerged from below, a tad green in the face, looking as though he'd spend the night outside being buffeted by the waters themselves.

At the sight of him, Bucky burst out laughing, to which Steve grumbled bleakly as he went outside to enjoy the cool air and ease his feeling of sickness. Lianka held back her own laughter slightly as to not irk the blond soldier, but she had to admit that after the intensely stressful night she'd just spent, it was nice to laugh a bit. She busied herself making them coffee and a little something to eat. Steve only drank the black brew slowly, still sighing a lot as even the gentle waves disagreed with him. Meanwhile, Bucky remained at the prow, growing steadily more serious as they shot through the sea.

"What's wrong?" Lianka ended up asking after sneaking a few glances at the sombre soldier, wondering what was bothering him.

"The island we're headed for is uninhabited, at least as far as I remember. How are we going to reach its shore? In case you haven't noticed, this crap basket doesn't have a dingy."

Lianka shrugged and Steve grumbled. "Just beach the damned thing." He said moodily. "We'll call Wakanda for assistance after we deal with whatever HYDRA left on that rock."

"Geez, you're grumpy. What on earth could be bothering you, Steevie?"

"Shut up, you jerk."

"Ass."

But both men were grinning, so Lianka knew they were not mad at one another. The chemistry they shared was peculiar, unlike any she'd seen before, but then again, their entire lives had been peculiar… she agreed with Steve: no use in trying to salvage their vessel. It was best to beach it on the island, especially since they knew they had backup in Wakanda that could come to their aid.

"Unless the GPS in this thing is really shot to hell, we're on the right course and should reach that island in a few hours. Lia, Steve… you two get some rest. You'll be needing it if we run into trouble."

"And what about you?" She asked gently as she rose, as steady on her legs as Steve was wobbly.

The soldier winked at her. "I'll be just fine, doll. Go."

(0)

Lianka and Steve descended below into the bow, where the sleeping quarter was located. All they found there was a pair of rickety bunk beds that supported thin, moldy mattresses that distinctly smelled like something uncared for. She took a top bed while Steve slipped onto the one below and both tried to find an acceptably comfortable position in order to fall asleep and get at least a few hours of rest.

After listening to Steve twist and turn and sigh for about ten minutes, Lianka rolled her eyes and quietly slipped from her bunk, intent on joining the soldier on the tight little mattress below. He seemed initially uneasy at her joining him, but she crawled over him and squeezed right between him and the wall, where she shuffled into a comfortable pose and wordlessly wrapped her arms around him. Lianka began playing in the soldiers' hair, her soft fingers brushing through the locks like little ghosts, drawing pleasant shivers across his back. Steve found that her touch seemed to ebb away the sick feeling in the pit of his stomach, so he calmed his mind and let her do as she pleased.

Much to his surprise, he fell asleep rapidly.

She, on the contrary, slept fitfully and very little, nervous and constantly on alert. Every little sound, from the scraping of ice on the boat's wounded flanks, to the splash of waves all around them, seemed to put her more and more on edge. However, she remained cautiously still and at least did not disturb Steve while he rested.

She rose a bit before he woke, deftly squeezing out from her tight position without so much as nudging him, before joining Bucky above. She remained with the Winter soldier, uncannily silent and brooding for the remainder of their trip and he while he enjoyed her quiet company, he found that her demeanor was starting to unnerve him.

(0)

The GPS hadn't been shot after all: they reached land soon enough and by the shape of the frozen waste before them, they could guess they had arrived at the appropriate island. Bucky took to the boat as close as he dared, sailing at an angle with the shore, searching for an adequate spot to beach the small vessel. Lianka stepped out onto the freezing deck, eyes squinted against the harsh wind and bright light that reflected over the water, trying to find them a spot as well.

In the end, she guided them into a minute bay she spotted, where the shore was composed of rocks and ice, but where they could pretty much reach land if they drove the boat quickly enough. She and Steve took to a corner and braced themselves as Bucky floored the gas and steered them right into the centre of the tiny, stony beach.

The boat hit land with a terrible wail of twisted metal and the trio held on for dear life as the shock of the impact rattled their very teeth. Around them, an enormous flock of varied seabirds rose with screeches as this sudden human presence came bothering them on their secluded island. Everything that wasn't tied down in the fishing boat went flying as rocks and ice tore at the hull, piercing through the brittle rust and irrevocably condemning them to remain on land. Steve found himself silently praying they had indeed chosen the right island.

The small vessel came to a brutal halt and rolled heavily to one side, coming to a rest a couple feet into the stony shore. The trio regained their balance, carefully marching over the newly crooked floor as they grabbed their gear and exited the boat by leaping over the railings on the side that was closest to the ground.

"Where to now?" Steve asked with a sigh as they strapped their packs and looked around at the silent, icy cliffs that surrounded them. There was a rocky sort of incline that could allow them to go further up and to the plateau that seemed to compose the main part of the island. Bucky nodded towards it as he pulled a warm glove over his bare, human hand, taking care to check that his pistol was loaded and tucked safely into the waistband of his pants, where it could be readily accessed. Lianka verified the two slim knives she'd slipped into her boots and checked her own handgun as well, a small thing she kept in a holster on her thigh, additional clips secured to her belt. Steve had nothing else than his wrist shields, but he knew he would probably do well enough in a fight, no matter what was thrown at them. Nonetheless, her clenched his fists and activated the shields, ready at a moment's notice.

They clambered up the steep rocky incline one after the other, careful not to send stones flying at the person below them. Once atop the plateau, they squinted in the bright sunlight and howling wind, which kept lifting swirls of ice crystals and snow that stung any unprotected skin upon contact. Further inland, they could clearly spot a structure that was by no means natural: the hard angles and smooth surfaces were a testament to that. It was hard to tell exactly what sort of building it might be, but as there was nothing else in this glacial wasteland, they decided to head right for it.

Steve had a nasty feeling in the pit of his stomach… this entire scene felt all too familiar, bringing him back a year earlier, back when he'd fled America with Bucky, Tony, T'Challa and Zemo in tow, headed for the abandoned HYDRA base that had housed the remainder of the Winter Soldiers. By a glance, he could tell that Bucky felt the same way: the sombre man had suddenly grown very agitated, his brow furrowed and his footsteps menacing.

Lianka was the only one whose demeanor had not changed: she was as quiet and thoughtful as she'd been on the boat, hard eyes set fixedly on their goal. Whether she was worried or anxious was impossible to tell: she appeared to remain uncannily good at concealing her emotions.

It was not hard to reach the structure: the snow was not deep, as a fairly solid sheet of ice seemed to have formed as the topmost layer. They had to fight against the raging wind more than anything, their footprints erasing behind them almost as quickly as they formed.

Steve was in front, arms raised to protect his face and eyes, so he was the first to fully recognize the building when they reached it: it was an almost exact copy of the bunker entrance they'd encountered when hunting for the remaining Winter Soldiers, except that whatever structure this entrance was guarding was entirely underground… nothing else emerged from the frozen wastes around them. Lianka pushed past him assuredly, gun draw as she moved towards the heavy metal door that guarded the entrance… Bucky was beside her in a flash, his grave eyes noticing at once that the thing was not shut, and the gouges upon the ground, like lacerations through the snow, clearly indicated it had been opened very shortly before.

"We're not alone…" The Winter Soldier grumbled, slipping through the yawning entrance before Lianka could do so herself, intent on opening the way for them. She followed suit gravely and Steve closed their march, every nerve on edge as they made their way into the dark, menacing compound.

(0)

Sorry to stop on a cliff-hanger, but this chapter is long enough. Action promised in the next one, and the plot shall thicken.

Review please my dear readers. It's always a pleasure to answer you!


	10. The secrets that lie with us

Sorry for the wait everyone but I am a bit overwhelmed with school at the moment (for a change). I'm still alive, kicking and writing occasionally, so don't despair!

Karina, sea sickness is a pain. I have an excellent foot on boats and have not suffered the affliction, although I have never been on the open sea. Enjoy this chapter and do let me know how you've liked it!

(0)

Lianka had drawn her gun as smoothly and efficiently as Bucky had his, both their safeties clicking off almost in unison… the sound, usually so tame and unnoticeable, flared like an actual gunshot in the cavernous, metal room before them. They set their packs in a corner next to the door as to not be encumbered by them should anything go sideways.

Steve was closing the walk, his eyes darting sharply across every shadow, every corner, as his heart beat fury in his ears, his every nerve on edge from the adrenaline coursing through his veins. He had to fight the continuous feeling of déja-vu he was experiencing: this bunker was uncannily alike to the one he'd visited with Bucky as they hunted Zemo and the remaining Winter Soldiers, barely a year past.

The trio advanced slowly, cautiously, through the first room, which was barren and cold, snow and ice having drifted through the recently opened front door. Their footsteps, as quiet as possible, still echoed eerily around them, too loud for their liking. The further they moved within, the darker the world became, the feeble light from the yawning door unable to light their path.

Lianka ran her gloved hand over the wall as she went, cautiously searching… until her warm fingers found a switch of some sorts. She glanced at the two soldiers, who were still staring about dangerously and she pushed up on the large lever, wincing as it snapped on loudly enough to send an echo howling through the entire compound.

To her great surprise, a series of dull light popped to life all along the walls, illuminating the space with a sickly, yellowish light. Bucky and Steve seemed as surprised as she was, glancing back at her as she shrugged.

"Must have a backup generator… look: stairs." She pointed beyond them and both men turned swiftly, their sharp forms ready for combat at a moment's notice.

At the end of this first room was a spiraling staircase that led down into the bunker's belly. The metal structure was covered in hoarfrost and rust, but as they stepped onto it one by one, following the pale lights, it did not creak a single time.

They reached the bottom with nothing but their own footsteps to break the silence. Before them spawned a concrete corridor, which stretched both left and right, making sharp turns after a few dozen meters that did not allow them to see what could possibly lie beyond the first stretch. There were doors on either side, big metal things that looked as though they had been built to keep in the worst sort of monsters…

Lianka took command and marched stealthily to the very first door in front of them… it was the only one that they could see that was already ajar…

Bucky flanked her. She exchanged a glance with him and Steve, silently assuring that they had her back, that they were ready…

She slammed her foot into the door with all her strength and it went flying on its crumbling hinges, shrieking, slamming against the wall within the room as they burst through right behind it, weapons drawn, eyes darting…

Steve stared in abject horror at the all-too-familiar setting, while Bucky reeled in unspoken disgust, instantly recognizing the machines, the wires, the _pods_…

They had just stampeded into a cryogenic facility, but even amidst the terrible contraptions that lines the wall, destined to house augmented soldiers in frozen slumber, the thing that drew the eye the most was the hideously flamboyant skull painted upon the far wall, its mouth filled with tentacles that seemed to slither upon the concrete beneath the shaky, yellow lights.

"Hydra…" Bucky breathed tensely, barely realising he'd spoken. "No… no…"

"Damnit… damnit…" Steve snarled, recovering as quickly as he could, grasping his best friend by the arm to steady him and bring him back to reality… Bucky was still reeling, almost tittering on the edge of panic, his breath hitching…

"Buck." Steve snapped, his voice like the crack of a whip. "Snap out of it. Listen to me, Bucky… listen to me. They don't _own _you anymore… you don't belong to them. You're not the Winter Soldier and they can't control you. _Shuri removed that from you_."

Lianka glanced at them, her face unreadable.

It took a split moment, but Bucky regained his composure, slowly but surely. Both Steve and Lianka visibly relaxed at the change, glad they wouldn't have to deal with whatever demons this place had brought back to the soldier… he raised his weapon tentatively and nodded at them, his gesture lacking the usually cocky confidence.

They moved forward, nonetheless.

The room was vast and the ceiling, high. There appeared to be an array of catwalks up there, probably set up to ease the maintenance on the pipes and wires that ran over the ceiling and that clearly connected to all eight of the cryogenic pods within the room.

The trio cautiously made their way from pod to pod, pointing their weapons at each in turn as they examined the insides through the thick window upon their front… each and every single one of them was empty, housing neither living nor dead soldier. Steve did not know if he found this more or less alarming than the sight of the shot men and women he'd witnessed after Zemo had murdered them all, ending them right there in their frozen sleep. Meanwhile, Bucky's mouth was twisted in a permanent grimace of distraught disgust. Only Lianka seemed as placid as always, careful and sharp as she investigated the cryogenic units carefully.

"No sabotage... the pods are still functional." She murmured. "If there were soldiers here, they have all been awoken and freed."

"Bravo, little girl."

They veered in a single motion. Bucky was aiming right between the eyes of the enormous man that now stood in the doorway, while Lianka meant her bullet for his throat and Steve raised his shielded forearms, ready to take on whatever was left.

They recognized him at once.

"You survived your little friend exploding, it seems." Bucky jeered; his bravado renewed. Now that the pieces were coming together, he felt the ground grow steady beneath his feet.

The giant sneered. "Takes more than that to kill a Winter Soldier. You would know." His voice was guttural, laced with a thick, Slavic accent. His fists were slowly clenching and unclenching, the thick knuckles cracking menacingly.

"You're one of the soldiers that were kept here, aren't you?" Steve demanded, not expecting the giant to actually answer him.

"Him, and seven others. One of which you've already killed." The voice that responded was softer, deadlier, and belonged to smaller man that emerged from the shadows behind several machines in a corner of the room, coming closer with soundless, murderous footsteps. "But you needn't concern yourself. Once we have killed the girl and claimed you, you'll probably get to sleep in a place just like this. Once you're reset, of course."

"Over my dead body." Bucky snarled with a hatred he did not know he could express. His gun switched from the giant to the smaller man and he aimed carefully, finger tense around the trigger.

The man sneered in response. "We would rather not. You are valuable, after all, _soldat_. _Zhelaniye. Rzhavyy. Semnad-…_"

Bucky howled, but it was not a cry of pain or fear. It was animal, full of unspoken rage and loathing, a dormant fury at all the horror he'd done as a prisoner of his own body, lost in a melee of confusion and terror. His finger curled around the trigger without another thought, pulling it in fully.

Just as he went to fire, a shot resonated from above them, incredibly loud, and hit him squarely on the back of his metal hand, throwing his aim way off. His bullet went wild, snapping over a pipe and causing it to crack open, spewing hissing steam into the room.

Lianka's eyes rose up and to the shadowy catwalks, glaring. "The shooter. I've got her. Take care of these two."

Without another word, she aimed her gun and fired blindly, still unsure where the other soldier was. Her attack obviously forced the marksman to back off, as no further shots followed the first and Bucky was able to aim anew at the smaller man, who was closing in fast. He got one shot in, which missed the target by a hair, before being forced to enter hand-to-hand combat, barely managing to block the rapid fury of blows that came his way.

Meanwhile, Steve launched himself at the huge fighter, who lumbered menacingly towards the battle and engaged him without a thought, using his shields to deflect the monstrous blows he was receiving. The giant was powerful beyond words, but Steve was faster and endlessly enduring, so he folded his face into a frown of concentration and moved with fluidity and precision, blocking every blow he could not dodge.

Lianka reached a rusted ladder against the far wall, near where the enormous HYDRA logo was painted. She clambered up at once, flinching as a high-calibre bullet whistled by her head and ricochet off the metal bars, drawing sparks into her eyes. Still holding her gun in one hand, she aimed blindly anew, firing two shots that forced the marksman away just long enough for her to make her way onto the catwalk.

She barely had the time to widen her eyes and pivot upon herself that she was being fired at again by the same woman that had assaulted them in Russia, her long-range sniper gun held awkwardly in the confined space. Perhaps that was what spared the girl, because the bullet went wild, careening off the cement wall behind her and throwing dust and debris everywhere in its passage. Lianka raised her handgun and fired until her weapon was empty, before liberating the clip and starting to reload.

The shooter had hid behind her large rifle to deflect the incoming fire, but Lianka managed to land one shot upon the woman's shoulder. However, due to the enhanced soldiers' powers, the bullet wound lasted only a moment, before a fiery glow erupted from beneath the woman's skin, melting the wound back into unharmed flesh.

Already she was lunging at Lianka, using the heavy butt of her gun to snap the girl in the stomach, forcing her to double over as she dropped the clip she'd been trying to load. Fighting for her breath, Lianka rose to a smashing blow to her face, her gun slipping from her hand, but managed to block the following kick, viciously grasping the woman by the leg as pushed her back awkwardly, trying to make her stumble. The shooter flipped upon herself, yanking her leg free, but Lianka was expecting her: her punches flew like lightening, landing a few solid blows before the woman could regain her composure and return the favor.

Below, Bucky was holding his own against the smaller of the two fighters, using both his metal arm and the knife he'd unsheathed to attempt to kill his opponent. His face was set in an angry grimace and he was trying hard not to despair: he'd already landed two solid stabs that should have at least slowed the soldier down, but he'd quickly come to realise that he too was imbued with the powers that Liev had possessed… the feisty fighter had glowed red both times as his strange gifts healed him at once, allowing him to resume the battle with renewed energy. Nearby, Steve was taking a pretty bad beating: the huge fighter was nearly impossible to wear down as every blow he received seemed to be brushed off and every wound he took healed like his partners' did. Captain America had received several unforgiving blows to the face and ribs and had been thrown with unprecedented violence into one of the cryogenic pods, which shattered on impact and where glass and metal had torn at his skin, drawing blood.

He'd resumed the fight with a slight limp, careful to use his shields to deflect every blow: composed of vibranium, they were no match for even the giant fighter. But even as he slowed down, his opponent seemed to speed up and gain power, his massive blows getting slowly harder to dodge. He did not know how long he could hold this without help…

"Buck!" Steve called, as he realised what had to be done. "Switch!"

He pivoted with grace, throwing the giant off balance with the sudden change. Bucky reacted faster than he could think, twisting away form the smaller man, who momentarily remained frozen by the development, and rushed the giant as Steve passed him without a glance, headed for his target.

The giant regained his footing and sent out a monstrous punch, which Bucky met with his own, metal fist. The sound of breaking bones that followed would have made anyone sick, but it only brought a look of grim, angry satisfaction to Bucky and a howl of agony to the huge soldier. Steve could not say that he was better matched against the smaller soldier due to the various wounds slowing him down, but at least he was holding his own, dodging and blocking the hail of blows headed his way.

Above them, Lianka fought with ferocity. She'd managed to grab onto the woman's heavy rifle with both hands, yanking it forward violently before suddenly pushing back, loosing it from her grip and ripping it from her hands. She swung the ungainly metal around rapidly and caught the fighter under the chin with a head-snapping blow that sent her stumbling back. But the rifle was encumbering, so she tossed it aside, letting it fall from the catwalk and to the ground below with a loud clatter.

She leapt up to grab onto an overhead pipe and swung her entire body weight forward with an animal howl, propelling her feet with every ounce of strength right into the recovering woman's chest. Lianka's blow landed true and hard, catching the soldier in the solar plexus with enough force to send her sprawling back, completely unbalanced. They had slowly moved back during their fight and had reached a bend in the catwalk; as such, as the woman went flying back, she hit the rusted railing behind her and toppled right over as she completely lost her footing.

The woman did not scream: the only sound she made was a surprised grunt as she went over the railing, followed by a hollow groan as she smashed into the ground face-first twenty meters lower with bone-shattering force.

Lianka knew she was dealing with a heavily enhanced soldier: she did not wait or hesitate. With the grace granted to her by her own dosage of serum, she jumped over the railing and landed below heavily, throwing herself forward into a roll to soften the impact, rising rapidly to reach the woman, who was slowly struggling to get her arms out from under herself, her face still pressed into the concrete.

Lianka grabbed her by her short ponytail with a vicious, unyielding hand and pulled up, before smashing her face back down with every once of strength she could muster, pushing her entire body weight into it. There was a cracking sound, there was blood and even as the woman began glowing red to heal herself, Lianka repeated her horrible motion, snarling like a beast as she went, going on and on until the red light within the soldier died down to darkness…

"DES! NO!"

The sound came at her like a roar. Lianka's eyes snapped up to the rest of the fight, pupils wide and agitated as she breathed hard, adrenaline rushing through her veins so loudly it was almost all she could hear…

The giant fighter had screamed at her as he'd spotted what she had done to their female counterpart. He was holding Bucky by the throat in a vice grip at arm's length, his other arm completely limp and twisted at his side, seemingly in shock. He seemed to have taken several unforgiving blows to the head, as blood was pouring down his face from various cuts. Nearby, Steve was holding the other fighter in a headlock, but it was hard to tell if he was going to be able to hold on any longer…

Lianka did not hesitate. She rose and rushed to the large rifle she'd previously dropped from the catwalk, which lay just nearby. Hands slippery with blood, she seized it as she skidded down next to it, trained hands checking the chamber for ammunition, heart skipping a beat as she saw the oversized slug wedged in there, ready to be fired… she had one shot.

She took it.

The rifle was heavy, but her muscles did not feel it. She rested the butt against her shoulder and felt a stab of pain, but she ignored it. She raised the barrel, just as the large fighter regained his composure and moved Bucky so that he would be in her line of sight, with the hopes of protecting himself… Lianka's entire world slowed down as her vision narrowed to a single pinprick, a tiny spot at the end of the barrel…

Her breath left her lungs. Her finger curled around the trigger so gently it did not even budge her aim.

The slug went flying.

Bucky had closed his eyes and momentarily prayed. It was not like him to trust anyone other than Steve… he wanted to say he trusted Lianka, after what they'd been through, but at that moment he realised she was simply too much of a stranger for him to do that… where he knew that Steve would give him life to protect him, he did not know if the girl would sacrifice him to reach her end goal, to exact her revenge, even if he stood in her way. He did not know her, at all… it was glaringly obvious. Perhaps he needed to find himself held off the ground by the throat by a giant monster, his back to the girl as she fired a sniper rifle with a look of calculated fury to realise it.

He felt the rush of air as the bullet grazed him. There was no pain… she'd aimed well. But he could have sworn it literally caught a few of his stray hairs as it went.

In front of him, the giant's face exploded. One moment it was there, a look of confused terror upon it and the next… the next there was just blood and flesh and bits of bone everywhere…

No way he was recovering from that.

The hand holding him went limp and Bucky was free, his feet hitting the ground hard. Years of unforgiving training allowed him to move faster than he could think, to push his questions and doubts aside and to pivot upon himself, metal hand curled into a fist, rushing the few feet that separated him from Steve and the smaller man…

Steve still had him in a headlock, but was moments away from letting go, as the man struggled to get one hand behind him and break free… Bucky aimed his punch with great care, knowing he had about as much maneuverability as Lianka just had with him and snapped him vibranium fist right into the man's temple with the force of a speeding train.

The skull beneath the blow caved and the man convulsed, dying almost instantly as blood started leaking from his ears, his brain pulverised…

Steve let him go and fell back, panting, a mixed look of disgust and defeat upon his battered face.

Nearby, Lianka sank to her knees with a hollow sigh and started to shiver slightly, staring at the garish scene before her with tired, slowly blinking eyes. Bucky glanced at her, and she nodded at him unevenly, assessing that she was in an acceptable condition. He turned his attention to his old friend and realised that Steve was not…

He'd taken a brutal beating from the giant: one hand clutched to his flank; he was having trouble breathing. His face was marred with cuts that were still bleeding, courtesy of the cryogenic pod he'd smashed into. He looked generally unwell; his head bowed to the pain as he tried to find a comfortable position on the ground.

Lianka was next to him faster than Bucky could even react, her hands hovering over him as she tried to figure out where she could touch him without causing more damage.

"_Blyad'_…" She hissed, her face wrinkled with concern. The fact that she too was bleeding from a few cuts and had her own hands covered in blood seemed lost on her. She glanced at Bucky. "The first aid kit… where is it?"

"I'll get it."

They had shed their packs upon entering the facility… Bucky gritted his teeth against the pain in his limbs and rushed out of the room after picking up his gun and reloading it, just to be safe. He clambered up the metal steps two at a time and quickly checked the cavernous hall for enemies before traversing it stealthily and grasping at his pack, which contained what they needed. When he made his way back into the cryogenic room, he saw at once that Lianka had shed her coat to bundle it beneath Steve's head as she forced him to stay put on the ground and he tried in vain to convince her he was fine. The sight of her, wearing nothing but a shirt in this freezing room just so Steve could get some measure of comfort… it suddenly made him feel awful for not having trusted her when she took that shot… she'd done nothing but show them kindness and friendliness since they'd met. How could he be so shallow to think she'd put herself first, that she'd betray them?

Lianka glanced up at him and he failed to hide that look of confused shame from her… had she noticed? He reached her, giving her the med kit as she turned her attention to Steve and melted his face into an emotionless mask.

She opened the kit and pulled on a set of latex gloves to shield the wounds from infection. Afterwards, even through Steve's protests and hushed insisting that he was okay (as he failed to hide countless grimaces of pain), she cleaned every wound, stitching those that needed it and bandaged everything up securely before giving him the last dose of antibiotics to ensure he'd heal well. They were out of nanites, so the soldier would have to endure his broken ribs, but considering they were going to call Wakanda for extraction soon enough, he would get all the help he needed.

Bucky brought in his sleeping bag to bundle it beneath Steve's head as he too insisted that his friend remain still for the time being, allowing Lianka to regain her coat. She took it gratefully and turned her attention to Bucky, looking critically over the few wounds he'd sustained: the small man had been fast, but he'd been able to block nearly every blow and had used his vibranium arm to deflect the worst of it. He had nothing but a few scrapes to show for it.

"I'm fine, doll. How about you?" His own eyes searched her face. She smiled at him and flinched as the motion pulled at her split lip, which started to bleed anew. Bucky pulled a disinfecting pad from the kit and gently tapped at the wound while she watched him with a penetrating gaze…

"You didn't trust me with that shot, did you?"

Bucky's hand stilled as he swallowed and at least had the decency to look her in the eyes. His gaze was sad and confused… it told her all she needed to know.

"I'm sorry, Lia…"

She shook her head, gently pushing away the hand that was tending her face.

"It's okay." She rose and turned her gaze to the main computer in the room, which had miraculously sustained no damage. Bucky found he was unable to read her or what she felt. "Call Wakanda. It's time they picked us up, I think. I'll try and see if we can get any info out of this old thing…"

He nodded, even though she could not see him. He thought that her shoulders looked unusually tense, but it was hard to tell if he was imagining things.

Unable to put into words what he was feeling at the moment, the soldier left the room quietly and made his way back outside, where he activated the watch he'd been given back in Wakanda. It took but a moment for a signal to be established, whereas he simple asked for an extraction, knowing that the recipients would be able to pinpoint their position with ease and without his assistance. When that was done, he shrugged away the Siberian cold of this frozen wasteland and returned inside to join his friend and Lianka in the room below.

Steve's condition had stabilised, as was apparent by the fact that he had managed to sit up and was speaking softly to Lianka, who had booted up the old machine that serviced the cryogenic pods. She was going through lines of text and code that appeared to have been written in Russian. When she heard Bucky join them, she glanced slightly over her shoulder to acknowledge him, but her face was grim.

"There were eight soldiers here. I was able to copy their data to my USB key and we'll be able to check it more in dept in Wakanda… but they do appear to be the ones we've faced so far. At least… four of them are ones we've fought. Four others we have not yet seen. There's documentation on their augmentation, but I did not go into the details. I'm sorry to say… this is indeed a continuation of the Winter Soldier program. Hydra was not finished, it appears…"

Bucky walked up to her, his face ashen. The horrors of his past were slowly surfacing from his mind, like diseased animals bent on tearing him from within… he felt physically ill at the memory of what had been done to him… worse still: what he had done to others.

Lianka glanced at him, her mouth pressed into a tight line, and he missed how her hard gaze softened for just a split second at the sight of his silent struggle.

She seized his metal hand in her own and gave it a reassuring squeeze, causing him to glance at her with a wounded look, guilt and regret mixing with his feeling of helpless grief.

"It's alright." She said stiffly, perhaps trying to sound comforting.

He glanced at the screens, which were still spewing their Russian details about the terrible things that had been done here.

"They sent these soldiers after Wakandans… after us… why?"

She shrugged helplessly. "It does not say. They told us, back in Moscow, that they had wanted to infiltrate Wakanda. I still believe it was because they desired to acquire their technology. But now we have proof… confirmation that Hydra orchestrated all this. That they are not as dead as they would have us think. There are four more soldiers out there just like those we faced. They are dangerous, violent and deadly. We need to head back and prepare to take them down."

Bucky nodded slowly, his eyes leaving the buzzing screen to find the young woman standing next to him. She was watching him carefully and her expression was impossible to define. His gaze dropped sadly.

"I'm sorry… for not trusting yo-…"

"Don't be." She cut him off. Then, she pulled him closer by the metal hand she was still holding and kissed him gently on the lips, shutting her eyes as she did so. The motion was a tad stiff, perhaps because she was still irked at him, and he grasped her face softly with his human hand as he returned the kiss, feeling a warmth spread through him that brought him miles away from the cold underground in which they stood.

Above them, the loud sound of a jet engine vibrated against the ground, shaking the air around them.

(0)

There you go guys! Review and let me know how you've liked it! Imma start writing the next chapter right away, because a lot of crazy things are going to happen there!


	11. Out of the shadows

Welcome back! This chapter is a long one, so strap in. I managed to focus long enough to write it right after the last one, so you have a quick update! Yay!

Do let me know what you think!

(0)

By the time their ride had landed and the Wakandan soldiers aboard had flooded out, energy guns trained upon the compound's solitary entrance, Bucky and Lianka had managed to haul Steve up the stairs and to the front door, where they were greeted by the cautious, heavily armed warriors. Lianka tensed visibly at the sight of them, ready to reach for her holstered gun, but Steve whispered a few reassuring words into her ear, and she calmed down slightly, maintaining a suspicious stance, nonetheless.

The warriors were dressed warmly and in a manner that left their face completely covered from the biting frost. As such, it was only when the frontmost figure spoke up loudly over the howling wind that Steve and Bucky recognized her as Okoye, the king's personal guard.

"Identify yourselves." Her voice was hard and curt and none of the fighters alongside her relented their menacing positions.

Steve struggled slightly to raise himself, grimacing with pain. "It is only in the shadows that the flames of life can grow."

Bucky and Lianka glanced at him with openly confused expression, but the wounded soldier did not return their gazes, staring instead intently at Okoye, who nodded just as curtly as she had spoken, standing down as she pivoted her spear away from their general direction. The warriors behind her followed suit in unison, lowering their weapons and stepping aside to clear a path for them to the ramp that led up and into the ship.

The trio struggled forward slowly and both Bucky and Lianka were assisted as soon as they reached the soldiers, two of which took their stead in supporting Steve to help him up the ramp. They all got onto the ship diligently, grabbing a seat and strapping in gingerly, welcoming the warmth that seemed omnipresent in the large vessel.

"What was that about?" Bucky asked in a low tone when they were seated, glancing at his friend.

Steve grimaced in pain as he shrugged. "Okoye gave me that as a code when she brought me to Wakanda before the mission. I guess she thought…" He paused uneasily, staring apologetically at his old friend.

Bucky's face twisted slightly.

"That you couldn't be turned like I could…" There was an uneasy sort of silence between them, following those words.

The jet lifted off as soon as everyone was safely within, whirling to life on powerful engines that sent them flying rapidly upwards, a cloaking shield generating around them at once to hide them from both human eyes and radars. Lianka shrugged out of her heavy coat as she found the atmosphere almost stifling, and Bucky was quick to follow her example. Okoye had removed her headgear as well and was staring at them intently, twisted back in her seat next to the pilot.

"You're Lianka Zaytzev?" The guardswoman asked after a moment of grueling inspection.

The girl shrugged, a bit awkwardly. "Who else would I be?"

"We checked her identity when we first met." Bucky added, a touch defensively. To prove his saying, Lianka pulled down her lower lip, exposing the tender skin within her mouth, where one could see the unmistakable vibranium tattoo, which seemed to glow a very light shade of blue.

Okoye nodded grimly, apparently satisfied.

As Lianka let go of her lower lip and pouted somewhat, disoriented by the treatment, Bucky could not help but have a fleeting thought at how those lips felt, how soft they were to kiss and touch, to tease and…

He looked away, clearing his throat to ease the tightness that had found its way there, hoping that the excited blush that had creeped onto his face was not too visible under his growing beard. Lianka sent him a coy, sideways glance that he missed entirely, perhaps guessing his thoughts, which made Steve, who sat facing them, smile very discreetly as he noted the exchange.

The flight was uneventful and silent. Okoye seemed to know that barreling them for information was useless: they would have to brief the king either way upon arrival, and she could easily wait until them to get the full report, sparing them the need to repeat themselves. Lianka did mention that she had a USB drive to analyse for further information, to which, grumbling about outdated technology, Okoye supplied that they would be transferred to Shuri's lab upon landing to tend their wounds and would be able to work on that information there as well.

They reached Wakanda rapidly, flying through Earth's upper atmosphere, where air friction did not slow them down nearly as much. Lianka, like Steve and Bucky, marveled at the sight of the world's blue curvature, silently in awe at the immense beauty of this sight few people were ever privileged enough to witness. Their entry into the city's airspace was a task all on its own, as the three unusual passengers uncomfortably braced for impact when they saw the ship lose altitude and approach a forest-covered mountain side, knowing that it was most probably an illusion, but uneasy all the same. As expected, they passed through the lifelike image and flew into the city, which shone brightly in the day's intense, cloudless sky, shimmering like something out of a mirage. They landed near the immense palace at the centre of the large, futuristic metropolis, as close as possible to the entrance, the access ramp lowering with a hiss that allowed a gust of hot, dry air onto into their midst.

A stretcher had been wheeled in to lay Steve upon it, but the soldier grumbled and refused it, relying instead on a quietly amused Bucky to support his weight as he walked slowly across the hot and shiny landing zone, grimacing and snarling quietly with every step as he tried to hide his suffering. Lianka could not hep but roll her eyes at this very male display of machoism, but she found herself acting slightly alike: she'd taken a beating during their fight and had to admit that she was still in a fair amount of pain, her body not quite healed yet.

She figured that that would all change soon. Squaring her shoulders, she followed the pair of augmented soldiers, walking next to Okoye as she led them into the Wakandan palace and down into its preciously guarded laboratory.

(0)

The elevator released them with a soft ding, and Steve found himself eternally grateful of the cool gust of conditioned air that greeted them: the outdoors had been utterly stifling, especially after their prolonged stay in the great wilderness of the north.

Shuri was upon them at once, glancing critically at Steve, assessing his level of damage, before checking Bucky rapidly and finally reaching Lianka, whom she observed with grave eyes.

"Glad to see you survived those barbarians." The young princess said in a hard tone, nodding at Lianka, who nodded back slowly.

"I would have died, had it not been for these two…"

"Right. What did you learn? Who did this? And why? Wait!" Shuri shook her head, clearing it. "Don't answer that. First thing is first: we need to get you fixed up. Take a seat on this table and I'll run a full diagnostic."

Lianka raised her hands defensively. "Whoa there! Do Steve first: he took a pretty bad beating in our last fight. I patched him up as best I could, but the agents we were up against were… uncommonly strong."

Shuri nodded, agreeing as she immediately turned to the Captain, guiding him and Bucky to one of her examination tables.

"What sort of agents…?" She asked distractedly as the blond captain took a seat on the table and laid down gingerly upon the hard metal surface. Shuri was quick to start attaching sensors to his body as she and two assistants stripped away his heavy clothes, revealing the slowly healing wounds and bruises upon his skin.

"I'll go fetch your brother." Okoye announced softly, vanishing into the elevator with her escort of guards. She was smiling slightly: it was always a pleasure to watch Shuri whirl to life as the excitement of research and discovery took over her. She seemed to truly come alive.

"Hydra agents." Lianka said grimly as she and Bucky glanced ominously at one another, and he nodded, letting her take over the answers.

Shuri's head snapped up from the needle she'd been inserting into Steve's arm, her face suddenly stiff with anger. "_Hydra_?" It was not disbelief in her voice: it was fury.

Lianka shrugged helplessly. "That's what we understood. Mind if I use a computer? I actually have some data from the base we visited that I still need to check out before we brief the king."

Seeming a tad distraught, Shuri nodded absently, gesturing to a high-tech machine behind her as she continued to analyse Steve, before leaving his treatment to her assistants and turning her attention to Bucky, whom she stared at very critically.

He shook his head and nodded towards Lianka, who had found a port for her drive and was typing rapidly on the keyboard attached to the computer she was using, pulling up some files that she stared gravely at, focused.

"Do Lianka first. She needs it. I'll be fine."

The Russian spy turned her head to him as he spoke, minimizing the window she'd been working on and grimacing. "I'm fine, Bucky. Let her take care of Steve and you."

"Lia, you're the least augmented of us, you should…"

But he froze as he realised what he'd said. A look of disbelief flashed over Lianka's face as her eyes widened to his words.

Shuri was too quick to have missed what had just happened.

She turned on Lianka like a predator, eyes flashing. "What does he mean, _augmented_?"

"I…" Lianka withered under the alarming look sent at her and shot Bucky a dirty one as he awkwardly tried to avoid her. "What he _means_… damnit… I… I took injections, okay? Years ago. From the black market in Russia, which was supposed to be like the serum used to make super soldiers…"

Shuri's nostrils flared angrily and she pointed wordlessly to a nearby examining chair, to which Lianka walked slowly, defeated. Bucky sent her an apologetic glance and she sighed at him, unable to remain angry. The young scientist reached for a sterile needle at once and approached the Russian woman, shaking her head.

"They put the worst sort of shit into those injections… you're lucky to be alive, you know that?"

"I do." Lianka answered quietly.

"I'm going to run a full DNA diagnostic to figure out just how much of you has been modified by that… that crap. Luckily, we have a DNA sample of all our agents on file, so if some parts of you have been damaged, we might even find a way to repair them by reversing the mutations. Maybe. I'll cross-reference you with Captain Rogers, who has the original serum's mutations and see how far along you are."

Lianka nodded, not even flinching when Shuri deftly poked her with that needle, before capping a small vial to it, letting blood spurt into it from the artery she'd hit on her first try. She was efficient, if anything. She pulled the needle out and pressed a small cotton swap to the pinprick it left behind, letting Lianka hold it in place, before turning her back and marching off to her computer to run her tests.

Bucky came up to the young woman slowly, his face almost pitiful.

"Sorry." His mouth twisted somewhat as he stood before her, nearly close enough to touch her, but not quite daring to do so: if she was angry, he preferred to stay out of reach.

Lianka sighed and smiled that tiny, sad smile of hers. She let go of the cotton swab that covered the needle's trace and used that hand to reach for Bucky, grasping him by his metal arm. He shivered with pleasure as he felt her touch upon the cold surface, not quite used to the technology yet.

"Don't be, Bucky." She pulled him closer. "I'm the one that's sorry."

He frowned in confusion, but she pulled him in for a gentle kiss, her lips like silk upon his and his mind temporarily reeled, distracted. She smelled like blood and wilderness, but he found that odor so very soothing, so very familiar… his heart clenched at her touch, his body responded to her like a fire to a gust of wind… the kiss never deepened, but somehow it grew in intensity, sweeping him away in the growing warmth it awoke.

It was she who pulled away first, as he had no desire to do so, his metal hand cupping the side of her face as he found himself staring into those glacier eyes, which were veiled in… sadness? She glanced over his shoulder, at Shuri, who was looking at the screens in front of her, which were running Lianka's blood sample, her head going left to right, staring with unveiled confusion as the hard insecurity of realisation slowly tensed her shoulders, her whole being…

"Forgive me, Bucky."

He had wanted to speak, but she beat him it. Her eyes found his, hard and unwavering in their determination.

"_Eto chernyy vorobey, kotoryy vedet krasnyy volk vo t'me._"

At her words, he froze.

His last conscious thought was…

"_No._"

And suddenly Lianka was leaping from her chair, pushing past him as he stood there, stiff and unmoving, his face hardening visibly as all emotions were swept from him. She unsheathed her gun with a speed and precision that were in no apparent way hindered by her wounds and her shot rang true, hissing into the screen just to the right of Shuri's head. The young princess howled in surprised, ducking beneath her desk as her mind flew into overdrive and she tried to gather her bearing, tried to get to the weapons she always kept nearby.

Lianka's gun howled anew and the young scientist was forced to crumble down and stay immobile as the assassin marched towards her, aiming right between her eyes, a look of calculated, cold determination upon her face.

The two assistants that had been tending Steve leapt back as he himself shot up, grimacing in pain, his eyes flying from Lianka to Bucky, who still stood by the observation chair, stock-still and stiff as a board. There had never been a look of purer incomprehension on the Captain's face as he stared at the unrecognizable hardness with which Lianka moved, the boundless, emotionless stare of her icy eyes as she neared Shuri.

"Lia?" He asked, fumbling with the needles that pierced his arms, trying to rip them free.

As if she suddenly remembered he was in the room with them, Lianka glanced quickly at Steve, before training her hard gaze upon Shuri anew, who was sitting awkwardly on the floor where she had fallen, a look of growing hatred appearing on her obtuse face.

"Neutralize Rogers. Keep him alive" Lianka barked loudly, seemingly at no one. However, upon her immediate words, Bucky seemed to come to life, turning upon himself with the soundless grace of a trained killer, marching straight at Steve, who was still fighting to free himself from the examination table.

The two assistants who had been tending him made a motion to run, but Lianka trained her gun rapidly upon them and with two very precise shots, caught each in one knee, sending them sprawling across the surgically clean laboratory floor with howls of agony.

Shuri did not even have the time to blink that the gun was pointed anew upon her.

"The system is designed to go on alarmed lockdown in the case of gunfire or detected violence. You won't get far. And you won't make it out alive." The young scientist snarled hatefully, curling her fists angrily as she stared up at the calculating assassin. She was surprised to find a quick, assured smirk appear upon that dangerous face.

Bucky had reached Steve, who was still not free of the sensors and needles.

"Bucky! Snap out of it!" He yelled out, before coming to the very quick realisation that his friend could obviously not hear him, as the Winter Soldier reached him and lashed out at once with all the strength he could muster, aiming his vibranium fist at his friend's head. Steve pushed himself back as quickly as he could and the blow only grazed his jaw, sending a jolt of pain through it nonetheless as he went tumbling gracelessly off the table. He hit his head roughly enough on the hard ground to see stars and when his vision focused anew, Bucky was upon him.

Lianka was still smirking quietly. "If you're hoping your system will save you, stop." She nodded at the computer she'd been using barely minutes ago, where a program was now running flawlessly, executing a series of fast processes. "That has neutralized it, by now. We're on lockdown, but only for as long as I want to be."

"I have firewalls, overrides…" Shuri began, aghast.

"You do. But by the time they'll stop the program, I plan on being long gone."

Bucky seized Steve by the front of his shirt and slammed him down into the ground with enough force to crush all the air from his lungs. Steve wasn't sure what hurt more: the blows he was receiving, or the terrifying depth of the treachery he had just been subject to, the details of which were not even clear in his mind yet. He tried to raise a hand and stop his friend (foe), to no avail: he was still in pain from his previous fight and Bucky was moving with cold, heartless determination that not even death could stop… Steve was very forcibly reminded of the last time he'd found himself in this situation, when Bucky had nearly killed him during their fight at the Triskelion. As his friend rained slow, precise blows to his head one after another until the stars turned into darkness, he found himself swept away in a torrent of violent emotions, most prominent amongst them being sadness and betrayal.

As soon as Steve passed out, Bucky released him and stood, turning to Lianka with an emotionless face that somehow still conveyed a cold sort of resolve.

"_Soldat?_" She questioned cautiously.

"_Povinuyas' vorobey_." He responded clearly, his eyes finding her.

She nodded. "Bind the girl. Defend me from anyone who comes in here. _Ne ubivat' nikogo_."

He moved at once, sharp and efficient, grasping a length of thick tubing as he went, which he promptly tied around Shuri's joined wrists several times, tightly enough that she would never be able to break through it or slip out. The deed done, he rose, and his dark eyes swept the room menacingly, searching for any threat.

The female assassin saw as the young scientists eyed the vibranium arm cautiously, enduring her situation soundlessly. "Don't even think about it." She warned, and Shuri's angry eyes snapped up to her. "The arm was the first thing I disconnected from your systems. You can't stop him."

Seeing that her hostage was properly bound, Lianka lowered her gun and stepped over Shuri, headed for the computer that was running her infamous program. She laid the gun beside the keyboard and started typing, launching a download that appeared to be tapping into the system's entire memory, copying everything it could reach.

"How dare you use him?" Shuri hissed, trying to sit up comfortably as she glared at the assassin defiling her workstation. "He's been through enough. Who are you, anyways? You're not Lianka, that's for sure… your DNA does not match the one we have on file… what did you do with the real Lianka?"

The assassin glanced at Shuri, before lifting her eyes to the elevator, from which they could now hear aggressive banging: someone was obviously trying to break through. Bucky had turned to the commotion, squaring his shoulders as he prepared for combat, but the Russian assassin stepped back over Shuri and passed him, headed for the elevator.

She reached it, and without even blinking, raised both hands to the centre of the door, which was moments away from being pulled open by whomever was on the other side. As her hands pressed to the cool metal, they slowly began glowing an angry sort of red, heat radiating from her palms like from the core of the sun. It was not long before the shouts behind the door took on a panicked note as she slowly melted the metal together and made it virtually impossible to break through.

Meanwhile, two scientists had appeared from further within the lab, wielding energy guns. Bucky had responded with speed and efficiency, rapidly reaching the untrained men as their multiple shots went wild, careening over the walls and shattering windows; it took only two very precise blows to send them sprawling, alive but unconscious, into the wall behind them.

The would-be Lianka was done welding the doors shut with her bare hands, so she turned away, making her way back to the workstation, where she resumed her cybernetic takeover. The whole time, Shuri followed her with an astonished, horrified gaze.

"I've seen that technology before." The young princess said at last, as Bucky returned to stand next to her, stoic and alert.

"You have." The assassin agreed, her eyes following her program carefully.

"It isn't stable."

This time, the woman glanced at Shuri. For what might have been the first time since this fiasco began, an actual emotion seemed to flash within the depths of her glacier gaze. It was stormy and complex, but it was there.

"It is not stable." She agreed after a tense moment of silence.

Shuri nodded grimly. "We have technology that delved into stabilizing genetic mutations…"

"You do."

The scientist fell quiet, slumping against the desk behind her, finally piecing everything together as the imposter wrapped up her hack, making sure she had all that she needed, knowing that her time was now truly running out.

The barbaric attacks on their agents in far away countries… this imposter that looked uncannily like one of their agents, who had coincidentally 'survived' one of those attacks… was it also coincidence that she looked so much like Lianka? A twist of fate? The whole staging of attacks by augmented soldiers, the details of which were still unknown to them because they hadn't had full communication with Steve and Bucky until now… the trust she'd built up using a copied tattoo, intimate details she'd probably extracted from the real Lianka through horrid torture… all an act, all to draw them in, lure them into safety and trust… trick them into bringing her back right here, right where she needed to be… the extent of such planning was almost unimaginable. The assassin, and whomever she worked with, had navigated unknown variables with terrifying efficiency… it was a testament to how dangerous, how truly lethal this unknown woman was.

And yet…

Shuri glanced at the assassin and noted the grim twist of her mouth, the uncanny clarity with which she operated… this woman was not brainwashed or beaten into what she was doing… she was working of her own free will, driven by a purpose. Could that be used against her?

The assassin turned to Bucky, tucking her USD drive into a pocket safely. "Grab Rogers. Follow me."

"You won't get out of here alive." Shuri warned anew. This time, her voice was smaller, as if tired. "They'll gun you down on sight."

The woman walked up next to Shuri and pulled the young scientist up to her feet by the arm with incalculable strength, making the gesture seem frighteningly effortless. She smiled, albeit a bit sadly. "That's why I have you." She assured softly.

She stood behind Shuri and seized her roughly across the chest with her left arm, pressing her against herself, and maintained her there with little effort. There was no breaking that steel grip, the princess knew, and in this position, she was effectively a human shield, protecting her kidnapper. Not that she needed a shield… when she'd melted the elevator door, her powers unleashing from whatever system had been holding them back and preventing them from healing her and betraying her true nature, all of the woman's wounds had glowed red as well, vanishing in moments. She could now heal from even the deadliest blows… she was essentially indestructible. The assassin raised her other hand to the girl's face and allowed her palm to grow red-hot, holding it close enough to her prisoner that the radiating heat was just barely bearable. Shuri grimaced and squirmed but was firmly held in place.

With a nudge, they set out, Bucky following them with Steve swung over his shoulder, still limp and lifeless.

They neared the door that led to the stairs out of the lab when it burst open before them, T'challa himself powering through, fully armored in his Panther suit as he bared his vibranium claws and slipped into a defensive pose, ready to fight. Okoye slipped up beside him, ever deadly, her spear swinging around as it pointed straight at the assassin and Bucky, neither of which so much as budged as they stopped before this aggressive display. A flock of armored warriors slipped in as well, training everything from spears, to swords, to guns at the infiltrators.

There was a silent, tense moment that seemed to last a lifetime as everyone assessed the situation, Shuri struggling weakly in the blazing assassin's grip, whose blue eyes had begun to glow red as well as her power mounted and she got ready for the worse possible outcome. T'challa's helm slipped away to reveal his face, upon which a mixed look of betrayal and hatred seemed permanently etched, his eyes darting from the woman, to Shuri, to Bucky and Steve.

"Let us pass." The imposter said, her voice unnaturally calm.

"We cannot let you leave." T'challa responded in kind, cautious and calculating.

The assassin neared her burning hand to Shuri's face, who cried out in pain at the growing burn.

"Let us go or she will die. And it won't be pleasant."

"Don't let her leave! Brother, don't let her win!" The feisty scientists howled through her pain as T'challa's eyes darted to and from her, trying to hide their panic, their uncertainty.

His deliberation was taking too long. Losing patience, the assassin turned her head sideways, opened her mouth wide and roared out a powerful jet of fire that literally sent everyone in front of her jumping a step back, shouting in confused horror. Shuri screamed as the air around her seemed to combust.

"Alright!" T'challa cried out, alarmed at this unexpected and ugly turn of events. The woman ceased her display, which had been more to vent her excessive buildup of rage than anything… her eyes were still glowing angrily and the king feared most of all that she could lose control and blow up half the palace along with herself… he'd seen this sort of thing before and he knew about this technology. His priority was to protect his sibling and his people. "Let them pass."

Okoye snarled something unintelligible as she slammed her spear down and the other warriors followed suit, murderous looks upon their faces.

Walking slowly, pushing Shuri in front of her, the assassin moved past the furious group of fighters with Bucky on her heels, who sent them nothing more than a calculated sort of look that implied quite heavily that he would fight them to the death should they show any sign of aggression. When they passed the door into the staircase, the assassin closed it and melted the handle with her free hand, insuring it would take at least some time for the fighters on the other side to break through. The odd little group then reached the steps, which they took two at a time, ascending effortlessly towards the palace's upper levels. Shuri was not a super soldier and she quickly found herself losing breath as she was uncomfortably shoved forward, forced to climb more levels than she dared count… when she began slowing their pace, struggling to keep up, the assassin simply seized her around the ribcage beneath the sternum with one arm and lifted her slightly off the ground to carry her the rest of the way. The ease with which the woman did this, without ever breaking a sweat or barely breathing harder, was terrifying: Shuri knew she was up against something she could not hope to defeat, not on her own…

"You won't be able to get out of here…" She grumbled nonetheless, intent on at least making this trip as unpleasant for her kidnapper as she could. "The jets will have shut down with the lockdown and there's an indestructible shield around the entire city."

The Russian spy did not answer and that was probably what worried Shuri most: she'd infiltrated them with ludicrous ease… who was to say she was not steps ahead of them still?

They burst out into the bright light of the landing zone a few levels later, Bucky slightly out of breath behind them as he still lugged a slowly awakening Steve Rogers over his shoulder. The spy set Shuri back down on her feet and grimly faced the absolute armada of armored fighters that greeted them, weapons out and faces set in snarls. It seemed that representatives of every Wakanda clan were amongst them, outraged and enraged at the kidnapping of their princess and invasion of their city.

The assassin stared at them coldly, calmly.

"You can either stand down, or she can die." Her hand glowed redder still, always a threat as she kept it close to Shuri. "Your king let me pass. You should do the same."

The warriors stomped in unison, letting out an angry battle cry that shook the air. But the assassin did not flinch or budge, her hard eyes unwavering.

It was another tense moment and with no leader to order their surrender, she was momentarily convinced that they would engage in combat nonetheless, as they appeared ready to do anything to prevent them from leaving.

Until one of the frontmost fighters, a member of the female battalion led by Okoye, lowered her spear with a venomous, spitting insult… the rest of the warriors, four dozen at least, followed suit in a disorganised, unsure manner, their faces endlessly hateful.

"No!" Shuri cried out, furious. "Fight her! Forget about me! Stop her!"

But the warriors did not listen, stepping aside slowly to clear a path. A path to what? There was nothing on the landing zone that they could use to flee, no ships or vehicles, yet the assassin pushed onward relentlessly…

Suddenly, the great domed shield above the city, a barely visible shimmer high above their heads, flickered and died out, revealing Wakanda to the world fro the briefest of times.

The warriors looked up, crying out in astonished, horrified awe and the imposter followed their gazes assuredly, hiding her sigh of relief as she spotted three jets rapidly entering the unprotected airspace, which they navigated unperturbed, landing just a few yards in front of her on the palace's tarmac. The centre jet lowered a ramp with a hiss and out came four armored soldiers, one of which was a tall woman, their hands all glowing the same sort of fiery red as the imposter's.

She stared at them with a hard gaze and all four bowed their heads lightly, keeping an eye out of the massed warriors behind the spy, who still dared not attack.

"Sparrow." One of the male fighters greeted her as she passed him without a glance, Bucky following diligently as he struggled slightly with Steve, who was now becoming very conscious and trying to break free with groans and growls.

"Let's go." The assassin's voice was tired. She reached the ramp and let Bucky on before her, the four augmented fighters following him carefully as they kept a cautious eye on the Wakandan warriors, who had slowly moved forward, just in case they could find an opening, an opportunity…

Behind them, the door to the stairs that the kidnapper had taken burst open with a harrowing bang, giving everyone a jump, and T'challa tore through with Okoye, rushing forward towards the three undesired jets that were preparing to take off from the landing zone. Okoye bore a look of disgusted fury, watching in horror as the assassin stood upon the ramp to the centre jet, still holding the princess hostage, staring at them coldly.

"You gun down but a single one of us, and she will die." The imposter warned loudly, her voice emotionless and hard.

Shuri was fighting back tears as she stared at her brother pleadingly, completely at a loss as to what should be done… fight? Pray? Run? She felt helpless and weak and angry in the monster's grasp.

"Leave her here and we will let you go." T'challa promised gently as his mask fell back from his face, revealing the eyes of a man terrified to lose someone he cared for. "There is no need for anyone to get hurt. Leave Shuri and go."

The assassin looked tired. "I can't do that."

The king was not one to beg, but there was nothing he was not prepared to do to save his sister… just as the plea was about to leave his mouth, all three jets took off with a ground-shaking growl, the assassin still standing steadily on the open ramp with a screaming Shuri in her grasp.

Helplessly, he watched as the jet took off effortlessly and careened out of Wakandan airspace unperturbed, the shield protecting the city having been completely deactivated… before the three planes even had the chance to vanish into the distance, the domed protection came back online and cut Wakanda away from the world in the same manner that T'challa felt his sibling had just been cut away from his family.

(0)

The ramp closed behind the imposter as they flew away from the city and she brought Shuri into the jet, throwing her down into a seat without much regard. The princess groaned and sat up as comfortably as she could, her hands still bound, her eyes full of furious hate. Nearby, Bucky had strapped Steve into a free seat and one of the other four augmented soldiers had trapped both his hands in a set of unbreakable, vibranium cuffs before he completely regained consciousness.

The female augmented soldier was circling Bucky coyly, her gaze amused as the controlled Winter Soldier stood in the centre of the jet, staring straight ahead, ignoring her completely, awaiting new orders.

"I could have some fun with this one. He's much more handsome than these three lugs." The woman smirked and came closer to Bucky, running a soft hand over the roughness of his beard.

"Touch him again and I will have you decommissioned, Deva."

The female stepped back at once, her amused demeanor crumbling into one of submission.

"Forgive me, Sparrow."

The assassin sent her an analysing, cold look and turned her eyes to Steve as he woke slowly, fighting to focus his gaze on his surroundings.

"We lost four soldiers, Sparrow. The Supreme is not impressed." One of the male fighters said coolly, while his two friends eyes Shuri dangerously. "Thankfully we have the princess. We might be able to turn her into a spy for us or trade her. It would appease the Supreme."

"Or we could just kill her. Slowly, of course." Another fighter proposed, leering at the snarling princess.

The Sparrow's head snapped to him at once. "Back the fuck off, Kiev." He too stood back at once at her sharp words, lowering his head dutifully. She turned to the pilot of their jet. "You. Get me down at the edge of Wakandan territory and open the ramp. Now."

The pilot did as he was told without question and the Sparrow grabbed Shuri roughly by her bound hands, lifting her to her feet without a word. She nearly dragged the struggling princess to the ramp as it slowly lowered, revealing that the jet was now hovering a couple meters above the savannah, billowing the dry grass below.

Shuri's wide eyes found those of her kidnapper and she opened her mouth in surprise, which was only accentuated when the woman seized a knife from her boot and cut into the tubing that held the princess' wrists bound, freeing her.

Their gazes crossed for the briefest moment, during which Shuri saw… what did she see in those glacier eyes, really? There were a thousand emotions swirling there, and none of them explained why she was being set free when they could just as easily keep her, just as easily do all the horrible things they had spoken of… the assassin held their stare for a moment longer than necessary and without any warning or explanation, shoved the young princess out of the jet and down into the grass below.

The fall was short and left Shuri with nothing more than a few bruises. She did not even have the time to raise her head that the jets were all flying off, the feared assassin vanishing within as the ramp closed behind her.

(0)

"Why did you do that?" The man that had proposed they keep Shuri for the Supreme asked, narrowing his eyes. He was the only one of the four that still seemed to unabashedly front the Sparrow.

The assassin sent him a look of cold contempt.

"We wouldn't have had to lose four soldiers during this mission if you hadn't sent four soldiers against me, James. You moron." She answered his initial statement. "We were prepared to take loses, because there was no other way to convince Rogers and Barnes I was on their side, but thanks to your idiotic planning, we lost half the Winter Soldier program. Bet you didn't brag to the Supreme that that was your idea, though."

James finally had the decency to look down, clenching his jaw.

"As for why I let her go… do we really need all of Wakandan forces barreling down on us because we have their princess? Let them keep her, it might mean they will be in less of a rush to come after us. We've given them enough reasons to be pissed."

The third male fighter, who hadn't spoken yet, stood out from the shadows in the back of the jet where he'd been lurking. His eyes were a bright sort of green and sharper than those of his compatriots. "We have a lot of work to do now, Sparrow. Will we have the time to wrap everything up before they strike?"

"I don't know, Roan." She sighed softly. "First thing is first. We get back to the base and analyse the Wakandan tech I got. I managed to get a glance at what it is they worked on and I think it does hold the key to stabilizing the AIM gene."

"No more risk of exploding?" Deva asked, hopeful.

The Sparrow nodded. "No more risk of exploding. We'll be stable." She sighed. "The Supreme will be pleased, no matter our losses. We've recovered the Winter Soldier, and we've acquired Rogers, who will be just as good once he's reset. And if the AIM gene can be stabilized, the Supreme…" She left her sentence unfinished, but all four augmenter soldiers nodded pensively, aware of what she was letting on.

Only Bucky remained quietly stoic, taking a seat next to her and across from Steve when she gestured for him to do so.

Steve was now awake, his face folded into a pained scowl as his head pulsed awfully with each thump of his heart, his entire body an angry mess of wounds. He was staring at his best friend with eyes of unabashed despair, his mouth twisted into a grimace.

"Bucky…" He whispered hoarsely, trying to reach the soundless soldier. "Bucky, snap out of it. Please… those codes don't work anymore… Bucky, damnit, snap out of it…"

The Sparrow looked at him with what might have been akin to sadness. "He's beyond you now, Steve. Those old codes don't work on him anymore, you are right about that… but those are not the ones I've used. There was another code, a sentence known only by two people in this world. Me, and the Supreme Hydra. A code worked into him a long time ago, in his debut as the Winter Soldier. Did you know that I had met him before, that we had worked together?" By the astounded look on Steve's bludgeoned face, she understood his response. "He would not have remembered, even if my face had not been changed to resemble Lianka's. I was wiped from his memory. It was necessary, in case he was compromised. Which he was, in the end… But that code was not wiped away."

"You… Lianka…" Steve closed his eyes painfully, fighting with the immensity of the betrayal he'd endured. "How could you? All this time?"

"You want me to silence him, Sparrow?" Deva offered playfully, pulling a jagged, wicked knife from a sheathe around her muscled thigh.

The Sparrow lifted a hand in dismissal. "No need, Deva. Even if he knows the whole story, it will not matter once they reset him." She sighed as she tilted her head, watching Steve intently. "This is nothing personal, Steve. It was a mission, nothing more. I had a part to play, pieces to move and I did just that. No hard feelings."

"So everything you told us… everything we shared, it was all just a lie? Your past… Liev, your parents… Wakanda… the… the rest… all a lie?"

She shook her head slowly. "Some of it was true, some of it… a lie. Some of what you saw and heard belonged to Lianka, some of it to me. The best lies come with a grain of truth, always. I _was_ born into the life of a Russian spy, and I did go to _vorobeynaya shkola_… but a very, very long time ago. Coincidentally, so did Lianka. We had much in common, she and I, even though we were born decades apart. Where I was orphaned at such a young age that I cannot remember my parents, she lost hers at an older age, which turned her bitter towards Wakanda. It turned her into an easy prey for us. The fact that we looked alike, that I could take her place… it was an unexpected coincidence, one we decided to exploit. Initially, we had planned to capture and reset one of Wakanda's agents into a sleeper, but thanks to Lianka and her uncanny resemblance to me, it became an incredible opportunity for me to go there myself. All I needed was to take suppressants that stopped my powers, the same suppressants I took when I was with you, and receive the necessary surgery to chance my appearance to match hers. It would allow me to infiltrate Wakanda myself, provided I could convince whomever they sent to help me that the threat we faced was real enough and that I could be trusted."

"Wait… the pills you kept taking… those were…?"

"Suppressants. I had to hide my powers from you, but above all, the AIM gene remains unstable. I cannot guarantee I will not blow up at any given moment. It was… an unfortunate side effect of the procedure I was put through." He gaze darkened imperceptibly. "You barely even questioned them, even though I took them right in front of you… goes to show how easily you trust when given the opportunity." She shrugged. "I last took them when we reached Svalbard. I knew the effects had to wear off if I was to be able to escape Wakanda once we arrived there. Seems I calculated that just right."

Steve looked revolted, scowling deeply. "I can't believe someone, anyone could do so much evil… Lianka was innocent. Just another damned victim of yours…"

"Lianka… She was eager to advance, to find her own place in the world, so it was easy for Liev to approach and manipulate her. It was harder to break her though… she was a hard, ruthless spy and I was sure, for the longest time, that she would die before she revealed what we needed in order to take her place. But she snapped… everyone does, in the end. It just takes the right _motivation_." The Sparrow's face was emotionless, but her eyes were infinitely cold. "I had what I needed to do my job. All the pieces… all I needed was Wakanda to send someone I could follow back. Imagine my surprise when I saw they sent the very asset Hydra was hoping to recover, the one I knew I had absolute control over, along with the only other soldier that had ever managed to truly piss them off."

Steve was staring at her with a hurt look that was slowly morphing into one of hatred. "So… everything… between us… all of it…"

"A lie." She finished for him without batting an eyelash. "Don't beat yourself up, Steve. I am not like these four goons, or like Bucky. I have not been brainwashed into what I am… no one strapped me to a machine and shocked my mind until it shattered into a thousand pieces…. No, I was built from the ground up into what I am. I was molded, folded and worked into a spy, into an assassin. This is what I am, this is my nature. You could not have seen past me, even if you tried. No one ever has. Not in seventy years. Remember that when the time comes."

Her eyes were laden, and he clenched his jaw, disgusted, furious and wounded beyond words. Beside her, Bucky remained calm and stoic, as if deaf to every word she had just said.

There was a long moment of silence, before Steve decided to speak up, intent on getting answers to all the questions he had.

"And the other soldiers? The Winter Soldiers we fought? Were they not like the four here, were they not your allies?"

She shrugged. "They were assets and I was prepared to lose a few in order to convince you that I was on your side and that the threat was real. I really sold it, didn't I? We could have lost fewer of them, but someone here decided to go all out even though he knew I'd have to kill whomever he sent after me…" She turned a hard gaze to James, seated near the back of the jet, who resolutely fled her eyes, an obtuse grimace painted on his harsh features. "Doesn't matter. We can make more soldiers once the AIM gene is stabilized. And we have you, and Bucky. I'll take that as a win, any day. Hail Hydra."

"Hail Hydra." The four other soldiers repeated vehemently, their voices as one. Bucky made not a sound, obediently silent next to the cool assassin.

Steve had no answer for her, save for a look of cold contempt that she ignored as the jet shot through the sky, taking them gods know where.

(0)

Jesus, almost 8000 words and 17 pages… this must be the longest chapter I've written in all my fanfiction writing history, by far. And I've been working non-stop for two days on it instead of doing homework because I had to get it out of my head, and in order for it to be coherent, I had to write it as quickly as possible.

It might be a moment before I write again as I have exams coming up in a few weeks, so please review!

ABOVE all, I really want to know what you thought of the twist. Did you expect it? I tried to pepper a few details throughout the story that _might_ have led on that Lianka was AIM (allusions to her body heat mostly, you'll notice if you read through a second time), as well as the suppressant pills she was taking that the guys thought were for pain, but I didn't dare do more because I was really hoping to keep this a twist that no one saw coming.

If I succeeded in subverting your expectations, please, please let me know! I want to know if I could have done something differently, or better… this is one of the first times I create such a twist!

Thank you for reading and have a great week!


	12. And into the light

tuckerjnp1, hey there! Yeah, I was really going for the surprise twist and was hoping no one would catch on before it happened. Haven't done that (successfully) very often, so thank you for reviewing and letting me know you liked it and that it took you by surprise! Hope you like this chapter too!

Karina001, thank you, my faithful reader and reviewer! I do hope you'll like this chapter as well. Even though the story is coming to an end slowly, rest assured that I have many more ideas for future fics. Stay tuned!

(0)

Steve remained as quiet as Bucky for the remainder of their trip, brooding his fate. He had some hope that Wakanda would come after them and he knew he could most probably count on their assistance, but the real question here was: did he have that kind of time? The would-be Lianka that everyone called the Sparrow had spoken multiple times of resetting him… he took for granted that that implied the same sort of treatment that had been bestowed upon his friend when he was made into the Winter Soldier… he glanced at Bucky, who remained placid, emotionless and staring straight ahead like more of a machine than a man.

They'd never delved into the details of what had been done to him… partly because Bucky did not quite remember everything from his past, partly because it was simply too horrifying to revisit. But Steve knew one thing for sure: the torture he'd endured was beyond what any man should ever have to live through. He could only hope that it would take them time to do the same thing to him, if it came to that, and that it would allow him to either find a way to escape, for give Wakanda the time they needed to find and secure them.

There was something terribly unnerving about sitting wordlessly there as he was flown towards his own demise. Steve fought with his physical pain and kept calm, refusing to give the Sparrow or anyone on this plane the satisfaction of seeing him defeated.

She did not seem to pay any attention to him. The other four soldiers upon the plane spoke to her with great respect and folded the instant she growled, so he understood she was probably of a higher rank than they were… of perhaps she was simply stronger and inspired fear. Steve noted that the girl they had known, who they'd traveled with these past few weeks was gone; there was nothing but a hard, determined machine in her place, analytical and ruthless. Lianka had been erased. In her place sat a monster. But then again… she'd released Shuri instead of killing her, like the other soldiers had suggested they do. Did that mean anything? Was it just another ploy, another strategic move on her part? It was hard to guess how deep her treachery really went. Steve found himself increasingly confused about this woman he realised he barely knew.

"Sparrow, we are approaching the base. We'll be on the ground in five." The pilot shouted over his shoulder and Steve glancing his way, straining to see out the jet's front windows in the hopes of recognizing their environment. He had no such luck: it was dark outside, and night had fallen. They'd flow for quite a while… time had passed strangely for him.

"Understood." The woman snapped. Her attention shifted to the others. "Roan, Kiev, you'll handle Rogers. Deva, I want you to go ahead and warn the Supreme we've made it back. James, you'll be taking this data key to the research lab and make sure they start working on it right away. I want that serum stabilized at once."

"Yes m'am!" Everyone agreed with varying degrees of sharpness. Only James seemed annoyed by the Sparrow's authoritarian manner of speaking, answering her lowly and fleeing her gaze. Steve took it that the man had filled her position as leader while she was away and was none too pleased to have it so easily taken from him. Maybe that could be exploited somehow…

The jet rumbled as they neared the ground and slowed down. All Steve could glimpse through the windows was that they seemed to by lowering themselves vertically into a sort of bunker, the ceiling of which was a massive, heavy plate of metal, which slipped shut after their passage with a great groan. So, the base was probably rather big… and it was hidden. He hoped Wakanda would be able to find them before it was too late.

The jet set down with a shudder and he was immediately unclipped from his seat by the two men known as Kiev and Roan. As the ramp slid open with a hiss to let them out into the base, Deva walked down rapidly with a determined step and James followed her, USB drive in hand. The Sparrow and Bucky stayed behind with the two soldiers that were half-dragging Steve between them, as he was still a bit wobbly on his legs, courtesy of the rough blows his own friend had delivered to his head.

Out of the jet, Steve looked around: he was indeed in some large underground base. There were a few helicopters and aircraft stationed nearby and a hefty army of personnel working tirelessly, shouting orders and tinkering with machinery and weaponry. As he emerged from the jet, eyes turned his way with a mix of awe, hate, surprise… there was no lack of emotions around him. Were all these people Hydra? Did they know who they were working for? Why he was here?

Before them, waiting patiently with his hands joined behind his back, stood a man of stature, wearing a military outfit that was pinned with a number of badges, all of which were a testament to his authority and position. He was staring at the Sparrow with severity, head high and stiff and she glanced at him with barely any interest. Nonetheless, upon reaching him, she did the common Hydra salute and nodded her head respectfully.

"Black Sparrow. Glad to have you back amongst us." The general's suave, deep voice implied otherwise. "We were beginning to worry."

"I'm sure you were." The woman answered dangerously with a venomous smile. There was a minute moment of tension; the two guards accompanying the general shifted uncomfortably and Steve thought he felt the two soldiers holding him stop breathing. It was almost possible to hear the power struggle before them. "I'll be on my way, general Harrion. If you don't mind. Some of us have important business to attend to."

The man's stoic face was crossed by just a tiny flash of annoyance, but it was gone before it could be registered. "So be it. Deliver Captain Rogers to the resetting facility and the Winter Soldier to a containment cell. He'll be dealt with in due time."

He made a motion to turn and leave, ever stiff, but the assassin spoke before he could do so, freezing him in place.

"_Actually._" Her voice was silky, dangerous. It did not take a genius to figure out who had won that power struggle earlier, appearances and ranks be damned. "Rogers will be brought to the infirmary and healed completely before his reset. Putting him through the machine in his condition would kill him, especially considering he is concussed after being taken out by the Winter Soldier. Speaking of which, the Winter Soldier will remain with me for the time being, as he is under my control. He can be reset once the AIM gene is stabilized. Which, _I hope_, will be soon."

The general gave her a hard stare, chewing on the inside of his mouth. He glanced at Steve, who did indeed look worse for the wear, his face swollen and bloody, and his feet uneven on the ground. His eyes then found Bucky, who was standing stoically, but protectively, just behind the woman, his gaze fixedly trained upon the general.

"Very well." The tall man finally hissed out, his jaw tense. "Go report to the Supreme. He'll be wanting to see you. Hail Hydra."

"Hail Hydra." The Sparrow bowed her head in a manner that might have appeared polite, but which instead further accentuated that she did not fear the general in the least, and that she had no plan to do anything other than what she decided.

As Steve was dragged off by the two soldiers holding him, he realised that Lianka's imposter was even further from their reach and comprehension than he dared imagine.

(0)

She walked through the halls, eyes trained far ahead and head held high, her demeanor confidant. The people she crossed moved out of her way rapidly, nodding at her carefully as they glanced at the tall soldier following her without a sound. The Black Sparrow and the Winter Soldier… she would have found it poetic f it hadn't been so grim. She guided them through the maze of a compound, which was a lot bigger than even Steve could have thought: it went down several levels underground, all of it hidden from view, all of it far from civilisation. The people working here knew who they were working for… no one spoke the name of Hydra aloud, but no one was stupid either. All the employees were stationed at the compound for extended periods of time and, unbeknown to them, once their contracts ran out, they were effectively reset, equipped with false memories and sent back to wherever they were from. Only the higher-ranking members were fortunate enough to be allowed to retain their memories of the last Hydra base, but then again, they were sworn to it for life.

She reached an elevator at the end of one of the long halls and pressed a button to go further down, waiting patiently in front of the metal doors. As the elevator arrived at their level, the woman glanced back over her shoulder and at Bucky, who was standing close enough for her to feel his breath on the nape of her neck. His eyes stared resolutely forward, but as he noted she had turned her head, his steely gaze slipped from metal doors and met with hers. She held it for a moment, and looked away: there was nothing but emotionless cold in those irises…

They stepped into the elevator, she selected a floor and the doors slid shut before them, locking them in solitude and silence.

She sighed.

"I know you're in there, and I know you can hear me." She said in a small, soft voice. It was so unlike the tone she'd used since Wakanda that it was almost unrecognizable. "You have every reason to hate me. I lied to you. I used you and Steve. I'm not going to pretend it was alright for me to do what I did. But…" She sighed anew and glanced at Bucky again, who was now staring at her with something that might have been akin to attention. "I'm sorry. Maybe you'll find it in you to forgive me. Maybe. But I _am_ sorry. Give me time."

She did not wait for an answer, facing the front again: she knew she would not get one. The door slid open and they marched out, finding themselves in another identical corridor, which she navigated with ease, all the way to a set of huge, metal double doors that adorned one concrete wall. She stopped before them and waited a moment, as if hesitating to knock.

As she stood there, Bucky moved up close behind her, ever silent. She gave a slight jump when she felt the cold metal of his vibranium hand gently graze by the inside of her right palm, which she held alongside her body. The young woman glanced down, noted that Bucky's hand had innocently returned to his side and when she raised her eyes to his face, she saw him staring straight ahead placidly… there was but a tiny glint in his eyes, one that was barely enough there to be acknowledged.

The Sparrow's mouth twitched in what might have been a tiny smile, and she raised her right hand to knock twice upon the heavy door, confident anew.

(0)

They entered a room that was sparsely furnished and clinically white, the walls and floors glowing with a sterile radiance, every surface almost surgically clean. There was a bed against the far wall, beside which stood a lonely bedside table, the only two pieces of furniture in the room. Yet, there was a mass of machines lining both the sides of the bed and the wall behind it, filling the space ominously. Some machines had screens where vital signs could be read, others were indicating more complex information. The tubing and wires from all that equipment ran right into the white bed, vanishing beneath the thick, pearly comforter, where a tiny form was safely burrowed.

Upon their entry, the nurse tending to the person in the bed looked their way, masked face revealing no emotion and bowed his head hastily before departing the room upon the Sparrow's indication. Whatever test he had been running, it could wait. When the door shut behind the nurse, the Sparrow and Bucky came closer to the bed, slowly, quietly, as though fearing they would bother the person resting there.

The figure hidden beneath the comforter was a man, but he was so small and frail that it was hard to tell anymore… his face was mostly covered by a large mask that brought oxygen to his lungs and liquefied food to his belly through a tube going down his nose. The skin of his face was taunt, dry and looked so brittle that the slightest breeze might crumble it to dust. Only the eyes upon that face looked remotely alive, shining a fierce blue in their sunken orbits, surrounded by a patchwork of liver spots and wrinkles as deep as canyons, all of which were a testament to the man's great age. He made no motion as the Sparrow came into view, but a powerful, victorious glint seemed to illuminate those glacier eyes, which carefully observed the emotionless girl, before sliding to the taciturn soldier at her side…

_So. The red wolf returns._

The voice that spoke did not come from the man, emanating instead from one of the nearby monitors. Through a complex set of twitches of his fingers, the immobile man was capable of formulating speech thanks to a program he himself had designed, many years ago… it was his only manner of communication, as sickness and old age had long since taken his ability to move or speak on his own. All he had left was the skittish motion of his fingers, hidden beneath the covers and plugged to one of his machines, and the devilish intensity of his sharp eyes.

"Supreme Hydra." The Sparrow greeted him softly, bowing her head respectfully.

Those sharp eyes found her.

_You have done well, dearest Sparrow. As I knew you would. You have succeeded in every aspect. Every mission. Words cannot express my pride. _

"Thank you, Supreme." She answered docilely, smiling a little bit to indicate she was pleased at the compliment. There was something oddly stiff about her response, but the tiny, ancient man was too excited to take note.

_I have been told you have brought back the technology needed to stabilize the AIM gene._

"I have." She agreed. "Our people are working on applying it to the gene as we speak. I hope it will not be long before they succeed."

_Indeed. When it is done, I will be able to walk once again. By your side. Like I have so long ago. Hydra will rise anew. I will lead us to glory. Hail._

"Hail." The Sparrow agreed anew, without missing a beat. "If I may, Supreme…" His eyes shone curiously, and he said nothing, so she took it was an invitation to continue. "Allow me to pass through the procedure first. Allow me… to test it for you. To insure you are not at risk." His eyes narrowed inquisitively, and she did not slow down, bowing respectfully. "If something were to go wrong… if there was a flaw in our scientists' work… I could perhaps hope to survive. You could not. And we cannot lose you."

The Supreme's deliberation was long and his answer was so tardy that she felt dread creeping up her spine, wondering if she'd said something wrong, if she'd…

_So be it._

She rose with another deliberate bow, standing straight in front of Bucky, who had watched the entire exchange with uninterested eyes, stoic and soundless.

_You have also brought us Steve Rogers. A feat many thought unimaginable._ _I must again congratulate you, dearest girl. There are none like you upon this world._

"I am grateful, Supreme. Rogers will be reset as soon as he is healed, and he will join our ranks as a Winter Soldier."

_And what of this one?_

She glanced back at Bucky, who did not return her gaze, staring straight ahead. When she looked anew upon her leader, her face was as emotionless as Bucky's, completely blank.

"I would keep him by my side. For the time being."

_Keep him by your side…_

These were dangerous waters to thread through. She knew what the Supreme had thought of her, all those years ago… before their paths diverged as she barely aged across the decades, enhanced by the soldier serum and then the AIM gene, while he withered away into this paper-soft shell of a human, clinging to life with the energy of despair, awaiting day after day, against hope for that one thing that could save him from the cold, terrifying reality of death. He had never dared undergo the serum procedure, as it had killed nine out of ten soldiers they'd tried it on… the risks were tremendous, and she remembered her own terror, when she had been forced… when they'd dragged her off… she shoved those memories from her mind as screams seemed to echo to her across the ages.

"Only you and I know the codes necessary to activate and deactivate him. The codes they have not wiped from his memory." She said gently, reassuringly. "As long as Rogers has not been reset, there is a risk that he might break free, might come for his friend… I need him obedient and by my side in case that happens. If Barnes is reset now, nothing guarantees his friend won't be able to break through to him."

Those terrible eyes, sharper than they had any right to be for a man that was well over a hundred years old, fixed upon her with terrible intensity. The Sparrow held that gaze with a confidence she had not thought she could manage… she did not look away, did not flinch…

In the end, the Supreme conceded.

_So be it. _

She held back a sigh of relief.

_Keep an eye on the procedure. Report back when the gene is stabilized and when Rogers is ready for reset. Now, leave. I grow weary._

She bowed dutifully and this time, Bucky mimicked her motions, before following her out as the ancient man's terrible gaze followed them as far as it could reach from the confines of his bed, burning holes in their backs.

(0)

The Sparrow sighed once the door to that room shut behind them, and she motioned to the nearby nurse that they could go back inside.

For a moment, she stayed silent, pensively standing in the concrete corridor, oblivious to her surroundings. In the end, she glanced back at Bucky, who shared her gaze dully, awaiting orders.

"Let's go."

They strode through the maze of a compound for what seemed like an eternity, changing floors several times and making their way deeper down… or higher up… it was hard to tell after a while, as there were no windows anywhere, no indication of where on earth they could be.

She guided them to the sleeping quarters, which consisted of several floors lined with unidentified doors, where she stopped in front of one of the entries decisively, staring at the tiny camera at eye height upon the wall next to it. It was blinking with a red light that suddenly flashed green, indicating it had recognized her and the door slid open soundlessly, revealing the quarters beyond.

It was simply furnished, painted in slight shades of white and blue, with a large bed covered in silk sheets and thick blankets against one wall, flanked by two little tables that each sported shaded lamps. Against the wall opposite the bed was an intricately carved desk of very pale wood, upon which lay a closed laptop and a pile of neatly arranged papers and pens. The far side of the room housed a commode made of the same sort of wood as the desk, its large doors ajar to reveal a mirror within and a handful of clothes folded and hanging within. The space was not very homely, but it was clean, organized and had a relaxing tone to it.

"Home sweet home." The Sparrow grumbled, but smiled wryly nonetheless as they stepped inside and the door slid shut behind them.

She turned gracefully to Bucky and met his calculated, calm gaze with her own, almost as if she was searching his face…

"I cannot release you from those codes." She said after a moment, still meeting his eyes. "I'm sorry. I wish you could believe that I am. However, I won't ask you to do anything you don't want to. I know you're in there and you can hear me, Bucky. I know you've always been conscious, to some degree, even when you were the Winter Soldier. You might deny it to yourself, but I know you were… that's what makes it so terrible. The memories of what you did… the people you killed, the horrors you caused. They could never wipe those from you. I don't even know if they tried… but those memories are there, always lurking, always ready to become clearer… not that you'd want them to." As she spoke, she came slowly closer, raising a careful hand to graze over the cold metal of his arm. "You might not remember it now, not with this different face that I wear, but you and I have met before. We worked together before… not that I could ever come closer to you, back then. You were more monster than man. If you search, it might even come back to you… but maybe you don't want it to… and maybe I understand…"

Her fingers caressed the cold metal of his arm pensively. "So here it is: you can either rest, which I'm guessing is something you really need right now, and I won't bother you. Or… well, as I said, I won't make you do anything you don't want to do. But I have to give your orders, because you answer to the Sparrow, so here they are: you cannot do me any harm and you cannot leave this room. Everything else… I leave to you."

Her eyes wandered up to find his cold gaze, searching it… her fingers remained in contact with the metal of his arm for a moment longer, as she wondered… no, as she hoped… she waited for him to move, to make a motion towards her… when nothing came, she let her hand drop to her side slowly and turned away towards the bathroom, lowering her head as she conceded at going there to take a shower, alone.

Before she could make a single step in that direction, she felt hard, cold metal snake around her wrist with unimaginable force, but also with very docile gentleness, forcing her to stop. She glanced back, surprized, and her eyes found the soldier's stormy ones, where she could make out a gale of emotions now, boiling like a hurricane. He stepped closer to her, his breath hitching ever so slightly as he pulled her to him and she let him, showing no resistance. His human hand slowly rose to find her face; he gently ran the back his fingers across her cheek, drawing a profound shiver of pleasure across her spine as she stared at him expectantly. He was standing so close to her that she could feel the warmth of his skin as it rolled off him, his soft breathing as it tickled her neck, the delicate whirring of the metal mechanism in his arm as it rose to cup her face, those cold fingers snaking deliciously into her hair, where they tangled ever so slightly, pulling at the locks just enough to draw a gasp from her parted lips.

Bucky took advantage of that gasp, pressing his mouth to hers gently, kissing her as his tongue traced over her lips slowly, asking to be let in… she obliged without hesitation, her own hands rushing up to tangle in his hair, pulling at it, betraying her urgency… his kiss deepened at her touch and he growled against her mouth, pushing his body up against hers.

She did not think anymore, backing up with him until he slammed her into the wall behind her, drawing a hungry, surprised gasp from her… he kissed her with renewed fury, silencing her at once, and she set upon removing his shirt, tugging at the material with an urgency she did not think she could display. Their kiss broke only long enough for her to pull the shirt over his head and toss it aside carelessly, before resuming with hungry passion. She felt a desperate sort of heat spread through her cheeks, rushing down her body to settle between her legs as she groaned against his mouth and pressed herself against him, feeling his own arousal. Her hands ran over his body, tracing the sharp muscles, nails digging into his warm skin as he growled against her mouth, the dangerous, low sound causing her breath to catch in her throat. His own hands had gone down to explore her, the cold of his metal fingers drawing lines that started and ended in shivers of pleasure. He grasped at her shoulders, traced over her breasts, pulled at her hips… she could feel the sheer strength of him, the unyielding power of his hands… the sensation made her whimper into their kiss.

His metal hand caught her shirt by the front and quite literally shredded it without effort. She did not seem to care, shrugging off the ruined clothing as her nails ran fiery lines over his human arm, scratching wolfishly into his back, his chest… she nipped at his lip playfully and he returned the favor, biting her just a tad too hard, forcing her genetically modified body to warm up as it healed the wound he left behind. She did not notice or care, her hands busy with his belt as she worked his pants from his hips, deft fingers slipping into his briefs to seize his hard member, drawing a hiss of pleasure from his hungry mouth as she wrapped her hand around him and squeezed him very gently.

Bucky returned the favor, undoing her front without ever breaking their increasingly violent kiss. While she stepped completely out of her trousers and panties, his own pants remained upon his hips, open in the front just enough to display his erect manhood, which she was still very gently running her curled fingers over, making him growl and groan with every languid stroke.

Acting almost desperately, groaning hungrily into their kisses, she hitched one leg around his waist and grasped his throbbing cock in one hand, guiding him to her soaking cunt. Bucky seized her other leg and swung it over his hip, pinning her against the wall as he grasped her roughly by the thighs and thrust almost violently into her, drawing a moaning cry from her parted, panting lips. She pulled her head back and howled deliciously as he filled her completely, merciless and rougher than he had ever been. Bucky took advantage of her exposed neck to bite down on the tender skin at the crook of her shoulder, causing her to spasm in pleasure as she dug her own nails fiercely into his bare back, leaving red marks all over his skin.

When he'd sheathed himself completely in her cunt, she grasped him around the shoulders, all nails out and digging harshly into his skin as he pounded into her wildly, hungrily, grunting with pleasure as she seethed in a desperate sort of pain laced with boundless desire. His motions were hard and animal, and he kept her pinned against the wall effortlessly, his human and his metal hand digging into her skin painfully as he held her put. She bowed her head and moaned as her pleasure rose with every enrage thrust, her back arching as the hunger between her thighs boiled steadily and she turned her face upwards, biting at her lips to silence the scream that was threatening to burst from her throat…

Bucky was watching her with those dangerous, stormy eyes, baring his teeth as his motions quickened and deepened, hitting her profoundly and driving her closer and closer to the edge with every thrust…

She could hold on no longer. She threw her head back and howled in pleasure as she came all around him, his continuing thrusts drawing out her pleasure wildly, forcing her squeeze his hips between her thighs as she screamed his name against his hard motions, completely giving in to her body's release.

His metal hand snaked up and locked into her hair, pulling slightly at the strands and drawing a delighted gasp from her parted, pouty lips. He forced her pleasure-clouded eyes to find his own and held them entrance in his stormy gaze as he growled like a rutting beast, slamming into her with a few final, demanding thrusts as he gave into his own pleasure and came into her, filling her pulsing cunt with his seed.

They were panting, sweat pearling over their bodies from the brief intensity of their mating.

"_Moy bog_…" She whispered against his mouth as he kept her pinned to wall. "You could be the end of me."

Was that the ghost of a smirk she saw flash across his face? Or was that just her imagination and orgasm-clouded brain acting up?

He let her down slowly, almost gently, and she pulled him out of her with a groan that betrayed how much she loved the feeling of him within her. With nothing more than a tired sigh, she grasped him by the hand and slowly guided him to the bathroom, glad to be able to enjoy that shower with someone else, after all.

(0)

Yay managed to get a bit of fun action in there!

Tell me what you think, I hope you guys are enjoying yourselves. Just so you know, I`m also working on another, new Avengers fic, one set in a dark AU. So keep your eyes peeled, it might be coming online sometime in the near future!

As always, please review, let me know how you like the story!


	13. What if I find nothing at all?

Karina, just wait and see! Tensions are mounting!

LunarFairyPrincess1989, hello and welcome to the story! Hope you kept on reading. We are a few chapters away from the end, and no worries, I will complete this story. Have fun and let me know what you think!

(0)

Night found her unable to sleep. They'd showered and crawled into the soft, silk sheets of her large bed, and while Bucky laid passively beside her until his breath evened out, signifying he'd fallen asleep, she stayed awake, staring up at the ceiling. Time passed and she found herself shifting to her side in order to be able to better observe the sleeping soldier that lay next to her, lost in oblivion. With gentle fingers, she traced his bare, human arm, running over the sharp bulk of his muscles, over the soft curve of his warm skin. She found herself remembering a time long past, when the Winter Soldier program was in its debut and HYDRA was still a force to be reckoned with.

She found herself remembering that soldier the organisation had rescued from a frozen crevice, a survivor of the group that had assaulted the train transporting Zola, intent on kidnapping HYDRA's great mind. The enemy had succeeded, but HYDRA had not left empty-handed: they'd acquired the very first asset of the Winter Soldier program, a stout young man that they promptly mutated with the serum they'd been developing, 'fixing' his shattered arm by replacing it with one of metal.

She'd been there, all those years ago. She'd been there because she was supposed to be the next agent to receive that serum, after this soldier survived. _If_ this soldier survived.

She remembered the terror she'd felt. She'd been an exemplary agent for the organisation, the product of years of training and conditioning, a perfected weapon that could lie, kill, manipulate and infiltrate. They saw the serum as a reward for her, as a gift to bestow upon all the hard work she'd done for them…

She saw it as a death sentence. She saw it for what it was: the organisation's carelessness about her existence, their singular goal of acquiring newer and better assets, no matter the lives that were wasted or lost in the process. They cared not if she lived. Even the Supreme, who back then was not their leader yet, had shown no concern for her fears and resistance. No matter that he'd fawned over her and courted her, when the time came to inject her with that serum, which had a 90% mortality rate, he ignored her screams.

They all did.

When she emerged from the mutation alive, she found that her heart had hardened. Sometime during her terror and agony, it had turned to stone from hatred and determination.

She'd always been a weapon. That day she became death.

The Winter Soldier emerged as she had, but his own mind had been hardened by the gruelling reset he'd been subjected to. Shattered into a thousand pieces before being rebuilt to serve HYDRA, he was more machine than man, his eyes barren and his soul evaporated. She'd always been intrigued by him… by who he was and who he had become, but their paths diverged quickly enough as they received different missions that sent them aeons away from one another. They worked together for a single mission, one which had him tasked to defend her with his life, a feat he took to heart: he slaughtered her opposition with vehement violence and allowed her to achieve her goal within record time. Unbeknown to her at that time, the future Supreme had personally integrated codes into this soldier that assured him that only he and she would have control over him if things were to somehow go awry. He was a very ambitious man: he was not about to let the other HYDRA leaders undermine him in any manner. Assuming that she herself would follow him on whatever path he chose, he made sure that Barnes was programmed to serve them should the need arise.

She'd thought little of Bucky after that. The Winter Soldier program flourished, and new agents were created. Some had been put under cryogenic sleep, while others remained active, working for the organisation as it rose steadily to power…

Until it collapsed. HYDRA had always been met with violent opposition, but after years of sleeping and infiltrating, they found themselves fatally undermined as they pushed their final assault and they lost it all in the process… the vast majority of the organisation had set root within SHIELD, and as it lost its footing there, it also lost all its agents and advantages. Thankfully, the Supreme was being held at HYDRA's last auxiliary location, along with a certain amount of its workers and a few remaining agents who, upon hearing about the fiasco at the Triskelion, immediately awoke the Winter Soldiers in Svalbard to assure their protection while they set about on rebuilding the fallen administration. She'd been amongst the seven other soldiers held under cryo sleep in Svalbard, and was roused to assist HYDRA in its time of need.

She'd been out for about ten years, so she had missed a lot of what had happened, mainly with the arrival of the Avengers and the knowledge that they were not quite alone in the universe. She'd of course spent a few years in and out of cryogenic sleep before the present time, because even if she aged at a reduced rate, HYDRA had seen it as a waste of her life for her to remain active if they had no immediate use for her. As she saw it, they wanted to maximise their investment. That became even more apparent when they were approached by one Aldrich Killian, sometime before her final cryo sleep. He was a scientist that was working on a new, better sort of enhancing serum that could apparently regenerate the user and grant them increased powers, rending them into nearly indestructible machines.

Of course, they'd thrown her under the wheels for that experiment too. This time, she did not plead or beg to be spared. She went with it and, again, miraculously survived.

However, it became rapidly apparent that this new genetic modification, dubbed the AIM gene, was nowhere near as stable as the serum had been, and it had… very adverse effects when it could not be contained.

They lost two soldiers in monumental explosions, and many other personnel in the blast radius. At this point, the Supreme ordered her and the seven other Winter Soldiers, all of them enhanced by the AIM gene, to be returned to cryogenic sleep until such a time as they were absolutely needed, or the gene could be stabilised.

So, she'd spent ten years asleep in Svalbard and had only been woken after the failed launch at the Triskelion.

She found that her heart had in no manner softened in all that time.

What was left of HYDRA set upon rebuilding itself and its primary focus became to stabilise the AIM gene, a feat they could not count on anyone else to achieve, seeing as its original creator had been killed by Tony Stark. She liked to believe that this focus on the gene was motivated by the organisation's desire to stabilise and protect its last few soldiers, but she did not fool herself: she knew that it was primarily so that the Supreme could emerge from his dying form and stand at their lead again.

Musing, she found her eyes slowly drooping, her hand splayed upon Bucky's chest, her warm fingers lost in the echo of his beating heart and rising breath.

The touch helped soothe her, and she finally drifted off into a dreamless slumber.

(0)

The following day found them wasting time in the facility. She brought them to the common cafeteria to get their meals, oblivious to the glances sent their way as everyone they encountered could not help but stare at this murderous duo… they were almost the stuff of legends, amongst these halls.

Deva dropped by as they were finishing their breakfast to announce that Wakanda had finally recovered from their cybernetic assault and were out for blood. She seemed giddy at the news and could not be blamed for it: she was, after all, the one who designed and wrote the program that had taken down the infamous African country. Deva was not only a vicious, trained and enhanced soldier; she was also an extremely clever software programmer that worked with HYDRA's other computer engineers to write malware and hack their targets. She left them with the news that while Wakanda was indeed searching for them, it would be nigh impossible for them to find or track them, at least for a fairly comfortable amount of time. They were safe, for now.

They later joined Kiev and Roan in the training rooms, where they were sparring with one another. Both soldiers openly admitted that they were curious to see if they could take on Bucky, him being unenhanced with the AIM gene.

"You two _do_ know that the AIM gene literally does nothing more for us than help us regenerate from fatal wounds, right?" She asked, amused. "It's the serum that gives us superhuman abilities…"

"Yeah, but you know…" Roan shrugged, grinning wolfishly. "Still wanna know if I'm a match for _the_ Winter Soldier."

She rolled her eyes. "I won't make you do this if you don't want to." She told Bucky placidly, watching him carefully. The stoic soldier simply took a step forward, his vibranium arm whirring as his fist clenched slowly, tightly. His hard eyes were fixed upon Roan, but she thought she saw a glimpse of amusement beneath the ferocity. She shrugged, raising a brow. "So be it. Just don't kill him."

She and Kiev stepped back, and not a moment too soon: Roan launched himself at Bucky, who blocked his first blow almost effortlessly.

The ensuing fight allowed her to fully appreciate the wild grace with which Bucky fought, his every motion sleek and trained, as though he'd been taught all this by heart. She'd never really gotten a chance to see him in action while she herself was unthreatened: this gave her a pleasant view upon the soldier's hard body as it moved as fluidly as that of a predator, his responding blows terrible and exact. She found her breath hitching slightly in her throat as she watched him move, as she followed his motions with avid interest, clenching her jaws when he took a blow and fighting with a smile when he responded in kind.

Within five minutes, Roan had to admit himself beat when he found himself lying with his face pressed against the floor, Bucky's knee crushing him there on the back of his neck. Roan had one of his arms locked in Bucky's metal grip, twisted painfully behind his back. It took a few seconds for him to concede his defeat, but he did so jovially, slamming a hand repeatedly into the ground until he was released.

Their next stop was the tiny hospital wing, where they stopped by one of the secured rooms, two armed guards standing vigil in front of the reinforced door. It was no hassle for a nurse to rapidly unlock said door as a rushing doctor quickly ran over his diagnostic with her: it seemed everyone here was eager to please the Sparrow, who remained stoic all the while, barely acknowledging anyone. Whether it was part of an act, or her very natural manner of behaving, it was impossible to tell.

"He'll be making a full recovery within the next few days." The doctor assured, nodding sagely, as they entered the small, white room. "The version of the serum he's been augmented with is slightly different from ours, in the sense that it is just a hint more effective in all aspects. But only minimally so…"

The Sparrow nodded absently, staring without emotion at the blonde soldier that was securely maintained on the hospital bed, arms and legs tightly bound by vibranium cuffs, out of which he had no hope of escaping. He was connected to machines that monitored his vital signs, one of which delivered a steady drip of saline solution through a needle in his arm. Steve was staring right back at her, his face slightly less bruised today, but his eyes having lost none of their fury.

"Come to gloat?" He all but snarled, glancing helplessly at his best friend, who did not even acknowledge him. "You can leave. I've nothing to say to you."

She stepped closer to the bed, eyeing him carefully.

"Are you mad I deceived you, or that I have Barnes under my control?" She asked coolly, brow furrowing.

Steve growled. "Fuck off."

Her mouth twisted into an unhappy grimace. "Don't beat yourself up, Steve. I told you this before and I'll take a moment to repeat it: I've been deceiving people like this for over seventy years. No one has ever seen me coming. Never. It's not your fault you fell for it."

He looked away, boiling with fury, his fists clenching unhappily in their indestructible cuffs.

When she saw he would say nothing more, she turned her eyes to the doctor.

"Did you speak with the team working on the genetic stabilisation?"

"Yes, m'am!"

"How long until it's done?"

He paused. "Not long, I recon. They've gone through all the data overnight and are running simulations. It is a matter of days, perhaps hours, until they find the right pathway."

She nodded sagely. "Good. The instant it is ready for testing, you are to find me. I will be the first to be put through the process, as per the Supreme's orders. No matter the time of day or night, you find me. Understood?"

"Yes m'am!"

"Make sure all of Hydra's chief personnel are on site, too. They'll want to witness the procedure."

"Understood. Hail Hydra!"

"Hail Hydra."

Without another word, she turned tail and left the room, Bucky following obediently behind her, neither so much as glancing at the furious blonde that bitterly watched them go from his confined bed.

(0)

On the following day, The Sparrow herself paid a visit to the team working on the gene stabilisation. Ever stoic, she toured the lab as eager scientists explained their findings to her in rapid, hushed tones, glancing worriedly at the large, brooding Winter Soldier that shadowed her every step, his emotionless face betraying no thoughts. From what she understood, the data she'd brought them was immeasurably important, but there was a lot of information to comb through and pieces to put together. The scope of it was that Wakanda had applied the technology to start reversing genetic diseases and cancers, wishing to stabilise the DNA sequences that were at the root of the problem. It was now a question of taking their studies and results and applying them to the AIM modification, which had the entire scientific team working around the clock since she'd arrived. Their results were promising: one test had maintained the genetic stability for about two hours before crumbling. They were running modifications on that particular instance ever since, getting closer and closer to a final product.

She was pleased, but also worried: it was impossible to ignore the fact that Wakanda was probably hard at work trying to find them. Even if she'd given them Shuri back, she'd caused an irreparable affront to the country by stealing from them and kidnapping both Rogers and Barnes. There was no coming back from that. She could only pray that everything here went smoothly and they could wrap everything up before Wakanda found them… she refused to let a false sense of security lull her, as it tended to do to those around here : she knew that HYDRA was not what it had once been, and it was far from invincible. They could be found… it was a matter of time before that happened…

She could only pray, for now.

(0)

When the fatal hour finally arrived, it did so with insistent knocking at her chamber door, at two in the morning.

The Sparrow was up at once, keen and sharp as ever, sliding out from the covers of her bed, wearing nothing at all as she ripped herself from Bucky's warm frame, where she'd been dosing uneasily. The Winter Soldier followed her lead with identical speed, completely unperturbed by the fact that he'd just risen from deep slumber. He too wore nothing, and obediently slunk back into the safety of the room's shadows as she silently gestured him to stay out of sight.

She activated the door to her room, and it slid open to reveal Kiev, who remained professionally composed upon the sight of his naked superior.

"They're ready." His voice betrayed nothing, and his eyes were strangely dull.

"Is everyone there?"

Kiev nodded. "They're waking the generals as we speak. Deva and Roan had to leave earlier this night because Wakandan soldiers were zeroing in on our position: they'll lead them away but should be back within the day."

"Good. Go. I'll meet you there."

"Hail Hydra."

"Hail Hydra." She agreed dully.

The soldier saluted her stiffly, before turning tail and marching off into the white corridor.

The Sparrow grimaced as she shut the door, plunging them into the darkness of her room once more.

"They reset Kiev…" She grumbled lowly, more to herself than anything. "Must be planning on sending him off on a mission as soon as he's through the procedure as well…" Her eyes, ever keen in the darkness, found Bucky. "Get dressed. We have work to do."

(0)

The laboratory was in utter chaos. Researchers and their assistants were running left, right and centre, double and triple checking every instance, every dose, every piece of equipment as they went. Their voices rose and fell in unsynchronized cacophony, causing the Sparrow to wince upon entering the busy room.

Several decorated men of importance stood on the outskirts of all the action, following it with crisp, serious faces. She let her icy gaze fly over those present and noted with some satisfaction that every high-ranked leader of the remaining HYDRA organisation was present, save for the Supreme himself. She easily spotted the general who had greeted her when she'd returned with Barnes and Rogers and she did not fail to note the ugly, contrived look he sent her way. There was no love lost between them.

She did not waste time or exchange pleasantries with the group of men, walking instead towards the centre of the room, where a coffin-like contraption stood, wired to the surrounding machines and devices that surrounded it. Light shone dangerously over the sleek metal container, sending a shiver down her spine. She tried not to think, for the umpteenth time, how she was once again risking her life for the likes of men like those behind her. Vaguely, she could remember the day when they'd dragged her, screaming and pleading, to a similar contraption, where she was imbued with the soldier serum.

At least this time she was walking into this willingly, head held high and no fear in her heart.

A mousy scientist approached her warily, glancing at Bucky, who still towered over her shoulder. "Black Sparrow… I… we… we're ready to begin, if you are."

She nodded encouragingly at him.

"If you'll just remove your clothing and step into the chamber…"

Taking a very deep breath, she nodded. But before she started stripping in front of this roomful of avid men, she turned to Bucky and caught his gaze.

"When that thing opens up again... if I'm alive… if it worked… I want you at my side at once. Don't let anyone stop you from getting to me. Understood?"

Her voice did not tremble, did not betray her tension… she was glad of it.

Bucky nodded slowly, his green eyes searching her, all of a sudden… was that a crease of confusion, marring the space between his brows? She ignored it, and turned back towards the ominous coffin, exhaling slowly.

She stepped towards it and pulled off her long-sleeved shirt, revealing the training bra underneath. Her pants went as well, leaving her in skin-hugging shorts that did not cover much of her long, powerful legs. She removed nothing else, knowing very well that it was not necessary… the machine needed access to her arms and legs mostly, in order to inject whatever serum the scientists had concocted. Gingerly, she slipped into the cool interior of the chamber, wincing as the cold metal found her bare flesh. Within herself, she could feel her genetic power awakening, the warmth of it rising across her skin. For once, she did not fear its sudden emergence, hoping against hope that within the next few minutes, she could at long last be rid of the constant, looming possibility that she might explode.

Closing her eyes as the doctors and scientists flooded her, connecting tubes and wires and preparing needles, she held her jaw shut tightly and prayed that she could finally be returned to a state of control… that she could return to belonging to herself, and no one else.

That she could, at long last, take back what had been taken from her, all those years ago.

(0)

On this cliffhanger I leave you! Please review my friends; let me know what you think!

I have a long week of exams coming up, but should be back with a fresh chapter after that! Take care and happy holidays to all!


	14. Reborn in flames

Sorry for the long wait, everyone! I thought I would have had time during Xmas break to write a bit, but I got really sick. First, stomach flu and then the flu. I was bedridden for most of it. The rest of the time, I replayed the Witcher 3 for the like the fourth time. But I'm back and even though school has started, I'll do my best to find time to finish up this story! I promise!

Karina001, so sorry for the long wait! Life has been hectic to no end!

Tuckerjnp, Shhhhhhhh!

Alliax, better late than never, I guess!

SilverNightmares, thank you so much!

(0)

As the Sparrow slid into the coffin-like contraption, the scientist around her burst into action. They shouted orders at one another and began counting down the seconds left before the start of the procedure. One of them checked that she was correctly placed in the cool machine, positioned as to receive the serum's injections. Beyond the immediate circle of action stood the highly ranked generals of HYDRA, their cold, calculating eyes watching her with fixed intensity. They all knew how much rode on the success of this procedure. They all wanted to see her emerge alive and whole from that machine.

They just didn't care if she suffered along the way.

She exhaled lengthily as the scientists around her started flipping levers and switches. She shut her eyes, wishing the dread away. She allowed a wave of peace to pass through her being, even as memories of the previous procedures, and their agony, surfaced, unbidden, in her mind. When she opened her eyes anew, they found the gaze of one Winter Soldier, who stood just a few yards away, his expression calm and stoic.

She was not alone.

With a hiss, the open part of the machine descended towards her, encasing her very tightly in its space. She had never suffered from claustrophobia, but it was nonetheless hard not to feel a bit of panic as her body was snuggly compressed into the coffin. The pressure was not painful, but it served to remind her that she would not be able to move an inch for the remainder of the procedure.

Breathing evenly to calm her raging heart, she shut her eyes anew.

They opened only when she felt the needles press to her skin.

Her teeth grit together as, along the length of her arms, legs and torso, the tiny needles pierced her skin and plunged into the tissue below.

Her breathing became stiff, shallow, as she felt the pain of a hundred pinpricks cover her being. Yet, she knew that this was not the worse of it.

When her condition stabilised, the true agony began.

She felt the cold of the serum as it entered her being through the needles. Some of them were deeper to reach her veins and bones, others were shallow to affect her skin and muscles. All of them became the centre of a growing, fiery sort of sensation that spread through her being, from her core to the tips of her fingers and toes. The blaze invaded her neck, her mouth and her eyes, before settling like something angry within her skull. She tried to clamp her jaws shut to avoid screaming out… she tried to breathe to pass through the pain, to endure past it… but it only seemed to grow. It was no longer a blaze, it was a beast of a thousand claws, ripping at her flesh, at her muscles, at her organs… from within her throat rose a distorted, hollow groan that slowly morphed into a roar, into a howl as her very being seemed to melt…

She was being undone. Her very cells, down to the last atom, were being undone. There was nothing but agony, there had never been anything else than agony, all she had ever known was agony… forever, all she would ever know would be agony.

She never was, never will be…

There was nothing but pain, nothing but someone screaming a wordless prayer, a cry for mercy…

The anguish had gnawed its way into her bones, where it had undone everything, where it had broken and shattered her very being, where it had reduced her to ash and dust and nothingness…

Just when she thought it would never end, that she would vanish from existence as though she had never been, suddenly the agony receded.

At first, it seemed hesitant. As though it took too much pleasure in what it had caused her. It only seemed to waver, too timid to leave her being.

But then, she realised that it had left her bones. It had seeped out into her tissue, where it gnawed with half-hearted desire. It had run from her skull, from her jaw. She realised that she was silent, too stunned to scream anymore.

How long had she howled? It had felt like aeons. She had seen galaxies come and go, in her suffering. But her throat was not raw.

Instead, she was starting to feel well. The agony became more like an irritating scratching, before fading into a sort of whisper. She felt it tickle her skin.

She realised that the tickle was the sensation of the needles leaving her body. Once they were gone, she felt nothing.

Stunned, she felt the machine open. The pressure that had encased her, that had prevented her from lashing out as she suffered… it was gone. Someone was grabbing her to steady her, preventing her from falling out onto the floor. Strong arms, one human and one metal. Someone else was pricking her skin to draw blood, but she simply watched them, still unable to react.

There was noise around her, but it was as though her ears had been stuffed with cotton. Every sound was dull, distorted. She could not see clearly yet, her vision painful and blurred as she blinked and tried to bring the world into focus.

The person that held her did not let go. Slowly, her mind still abuzz, she managed to lift her eyes and meet that person's gaze.

The eyes she stared into were stormy, gorgeous… they were familiar… it took her a moment to replace her memory of them, to blink away the blurriness that prevented her from seeing the man's face.

When she saw him… when she remembered him…

Everything else came back to her.

Her vision cleared. The world around her returned into focus. The shouted voices that surrounded her were suddenly comprehensible.

"We did it!"

"Her cellular structure is stable!"

"The serum worked!"

A tiny smile appeared on her lips. She never broke her stare with the man that was holding her steady. His own eyes seemed to be searching hers, curious, cautious… somewhere, beneath the encoded words that held him captive, she knew that he was starting to understand what was going to happen.

She raised a gentle hand to Bucky's face and brushed back a stray strand of hair, that minute smile never leaving her lips.

"You're going to have to trust me." She whispered gently as, around them, celebration erupted, and the men began shaking one another's' hands, clapping each other on the back, gleeful. They seemed to have forgotten about the young woman they'd subjected to unimaginable pain in order to verify their experiment. They had forgotten about the man that was with her, which they'd shattered in an altogether different sort of torture, ages ago.

Slowly, almost imperceptibly, Bucky gave her a single nod.

Gently, he released her as she found her footing. It felt more solid than it had in decades.

"Kill everyone in this room. Prevent anyone from escaping." She ordered softly, speaking barely above a whisper. Her voice was without emotion, but her eyes betrayed a dangerous sort of fury that was laced with unwavering determination.

Bucky moved like a machine, and she followed with renewed energy.

The first scientist never knew what hit him. He went from laughing alongside his brethren to falling limply to the floor, his skull shattered from a single blow, delivered by a vibranium fist. By the time the others reacted, Bucky had already massacred two more, and she had crossed the room with the speed and agility of a leopard, reaching the stunned generals.

Thrusting her hands out in front of her, feeling a newfound sort of power flowing through her veins, she willed a blaze into existence. It left her fingers with volcanic heat, a wall of fire that enveloped the astounded men before they could so much as cry out. The flames engulfed their lungs as they breathed it in, melting their flesh so quickly that they died before ever even feeling pain. A courtesy they had not paid her. Ever the trained assassin, she moved like lightening, reaching one of the soldiers that she had not burned, who was drawing his gun with a look of utter horror painted upon his face.

Her fist met his jaw with the force of a moving train, shattering it. He stumbled back, but before he could so much as catch his footing, she was seizing him by the head and twisting his neck until it snapped like a twig.

He fell and she moved on, rapidly catching up the panicked men that were trying to reach the only door to the room. Fire found them easily, silencing their screams as they melted beneath its intensity.

She turned and saw that Bucky had just as easily disposed of whomever was left in the room. They alone stood, surrounded by a sea of corpses. Their gazes crossed and they exchanged a nod.

It had all happened so quickly, so suddenly… no one had even thought to set off the alarm. Such was the testament to how much no one had expected her to do what she just did: none of them had seen her coming. None of them had guessed what she was after.

"Watch the entrance." She ordered Bucky as she strode over the dead men, reaching one of the computers in the room. The Soldier diligently seized a gun that had been dropped in the fray and cocked it, raising it with trained hands to guard the door.

She accessed the computer with rapid, trained hands.

Deva was not the only one that was good with technology. Unbeknown to anyone, the Sparrow had long since surveyed the base's lockdown protocol and security measures. She's made herself familiar with what she could and would do once she was ready to act.

Her quick fingers launched a silent lockdown, barring every exit to the compound without raising the alarm. She verified the flight and mission log, scowling a bit when she saw that out of the four other Winter Soldiers, two had been sent out earlier on undisclosed missions. This meant that only two remained in the base… she'd been hoping on having them all here when this time came, but she would have to work with what she had.

Some months ago, she'd asked Deva to code a program for her. It was supposed to systematically and irrevocably destroy any data within a system once it was launched. Initially, she'd told Deva that she meant to use it in Wakanda, but it had never come to pass. They'd instead hacked the country on their mission there. However, that program was still in her possession… and Deva had no memory of it, as she'd been reset for a new mission not long after she'd coded it. HYDRA's own methodology would be its undoing.

The Sparrow walked over to her clothes, which still lay on the ground where she'd dropped them before entering the coffin-like contraption. She pulled on her shirt rapidly, noting that it was slick with spilt blood, before slipping into her pants. From one of her pockets, she withdrew a tiny SD card, which she carried back to the computer.

From then on, it was a matter of time. Her face set into a grim sort of grimace, she launched Deva's program. There was no hesitation in her motions: she wanted to see everything in this system wiped from living memory. Before leaving the computers behind, she launched another program, this one simpler: it consisted of a countdown timer that would activate a signal beacon once it reached zero. Thinking quickly, trying to estimate how much time she needed to buy herself, the young woman bit at her lip, before rapidly selecting forty minutes on the prompting screen. She could only hope it would be enough to do all that she had to do.

With that deed done, she turned back to Bucky.

He had watched her work, his brow furrowed into a careful crease. They exchanged a moment of tense silence as she stared at him, her face hard to read. Their setting was almost surreal… the scattered Hydra generals, doctors and scientists… the slowly disaggregating Hydra computer system behind her… the odd glow in her eyes.

"The men in this room had to die." She told him in a cold, ruthless voice. "They were the nerves and the hearts of HYDRA, and as long as any of them survived this day, the organisation would never have fallen. They were not monsters, not all of them, but to ensure the future of the world was free of their hold, they had to be eliminated." She sighed. "Such is not the case of everyone else in this compound, save the two Winter Soldiers that are still here… as such, I'm ordering you to spare any worker we see, unless I say otherwise. If we come across soldiers, you are to use any force necessary to ensure that neither of us is harmed. If they shoot to kill, so should you. If we happen upon the Winter Soldiers, you are to eliminate them with extreme prejudice. I need you to know that they _are not like you_. There is nothing left of the men and women they once were… there is no retrieving them. They have to die if we want to get out of here alive."

Bucky stared at her, his eyes hard, searching… if she guessed his thousand questions, his muted desire to speak up and oppose her heartless decision, she did not act upon it…

"Let's go." She broke the tension.

They set out of the grim room, two shadows intent on murder.

(0)

She led them through the eerily empty compound without hesitation. Bucky had taken the time to map his surroundings all the time he'd been a prisoner in his own body, forced to follow the Sparrow obediently as she led him about soundlessly. He'd carefully memorised the compound's layout and, as such, knew exactly where they were going… if he hadn't been frozen behind those code words, he would have probably expressed surprise. However, he had unable to do any such thing, so he instead found himself following the brutal young woman silently, hoping against hope that she was not ultimately leading them to their demise.

They turned a corner into a long white corridor so alike all the others… the only difference with this one was that there was an armed soldier stationed by one of the doors, his semi-automatic gun clenched in rigid hands, his gaze fixed forward. As the Sparrow neared, his dark eyes swept sideways and found her.

His mouth opened, but his eyebrows did not even have the time to fly up that she had launched her fist at his face, hitting him in the jaw with enough force to knock him out cold. Bucky stood behind her, the depths of his gaze swimming in careful confusion.

She shoved the unconscious guard aside without thought and accessed the door behind him, ramming in down with the brute force she used to open it.

Grim, the pair entered the small infirmary room.

Still bound with vibranium cuffs to the bed, Steve's astounded expression matched with the burly, male nurse's that stood next to him. Neither seemed capable of finding words to express themselves as they stared, wide-eyed, at the murderously calm Sparrow as she entered the room. Their gazes slipped to the unconscious soldier in the door's threshold, before locking on the stoically terrifying Winter Soldier that still hounded the young woman.

She addressed the nurse in a tone that warranted no pity. "Get out." Her words were deadly. "If you want to live, get out and hide somewhere. If you resist, I will kill you. If you sound the alarm, I will kill you. If you so much as speak, I will kill you. Go. Now."

The nurse was well built and obviously strong… yet, he wasn't dumb. His gaze went from the ferocious assassin to her trailing guard, before reaching the door behind the pair. Swallowing slowly, he raised both empty hands and very obediently left the room without so much as a sound, knowing all too well that he was no match for either of them.

The Sparrow sighed, her eyes finding Steve.

"You've no reason to trust me." She started.

His mouth contorted angrily into a snarl. "You're damn right. What the fuck do you want?"

She gritted her teeth. "You've no reason to trust me, but you'll have to nonetheless." She repeated softly. "Every general, doctor and scientist that remained to HYDRA is dead. I killed them." She let the news sink in as Steve continued to look at her distrustfully, his worried gaze falling to Bucky periodically, even though he knew his friend could neither confirm nor deny what she was saying. "I'm going to need you to follow me. There's one more thing I must do before this is all over. And I need both you and Bucky to be there with me when I do it."

He growled. "I'm not going anywhere with you."

She sighed, nodding as though she knew he'd answer that. "If you come with me… I'll set Bucky free. I promise."

He was staring at her with an ugly expression, refusing to give in, knowing she was probably lying to him.

The Sparrow's hard gaze softened into something almost sad.

"Steve, please…" She whispered. "I've betrayed you, yes. But I want to explain why. And I need you to come with me for that. Please. Please trust me."

Her voice was so small, so pleading… he felt it squeeze at his heart painfully and found that he almost could not resist her… it did not matter that his head was screaming at him that she was lying, manipulating him again… playing with his emotions… none of that mattered. Something within him just wanted to grab her, hold her tight and make sure she was safe… something within him wanted to believe her…

What choice did he have? She held the codes to release Bucky. If she had really killed all those HYDRA agents as she said, she was probably planning something… if he could get himself and his best friend out of this mess, maybe he should give it a go… maybe he should trust her… for the time being.

"Alright." Steve finally conceded. He nonetheless wiggled his bound arms and legs to indicate he was unable to go anywhere. "I'm still not getting out of these, though… and they're vibranium, so no matter the force any of us can apply to them, they won't budge…"

The Sparrow smiled coyly and came closer. "That's where you're wrong: the _brute _force either of you can apply won't work. But I have thermodynamics working for me, now."

She pressed her hands to the gleaming metal cuff that bound his right arm, her dainty fingers carefully finding the weakest part of it, where a lock had been installed. Her brow furrowed and Steve felt heat rise from her fingertips, to which he responded by becoming unnaturally still, worried that she might lose control and explode.

Noting his reaction, she smirked. "Don't worry. My genes are stable now. It'll be the last thing HYDRA ever does, and it will be their undoing."

The cuff, heated to redness by her fingers and weakened greatly, crumbled apart as she applied the slightest pressure to it. Steve found that he had one free arm, and no burns to worry about… she'd worked carefully and deftly.

As she set to work on his other cuffs, he followed her with a careful gaze.

"Did you plan all of this?" He questioned softly, curious. "Did you plan to have us brought in and to betray HYDRA, in the end?"

She smiled sadly. "Yes and no. Something things I planned, others just… happened along the way. You and Bucky were never my objective, and even though I don't think you'll believe me, you should at least know this: everything that happened between us… even if it was a means to an end, I… I felt something. I didn't want to hurt either of you, ever. But I had to do what I had to do to reach my goal… do you understand?"

She was working on the final cuff that held his leg. Steve sat up and stretched his sore body as he did, testing out his muscles as he moved. He was a bit stiff from staying immobile for those last few days, but he was glad to feel that all pain had left his body, indicating that he'd fully recovered from their last altercation. He could at least fend for himself if things went sideways.

He glanced at his best friend, who was looking at him with a careful, emotionless face. He didn't know if he should say anything… he knew that the man before him was not Bucky… but he also knew that Bucky could probably still hear him and remember everything that was happening.

And just like that, Steve was free of his unbreakable bindings.

He rose gingerly to his feet, swaying slightly as he regained his footing. The Sparrow stepped back next to Bucky, watching him warily as he sighed profoundly and sent her an equally uneasy look.

"Well…" Steve nodded towards the door. "After you."

(0)

I'm going to leave this on a slight cliffhanger, because there's still much to be said and done and I feel like it would be too much for a whole chapter. I'm going to try and start working on the next part as soon as I can before I get sick… again.

Wish me luck, and review to let me know how you liked the story so far!


	15. From the ashes

Tuckerjnp, you saw right through my second ploy! Hope you find more answers in this chapter!

Karina, here you go, my friend! Hope you'll enjoy this one as well.

MommaWolf, thank you for your review. You'll find the answers you seek in this chapter, I promise!

(0)

They stormed through the compound, all three of them making for a terrifying force.

HYDRA personnel were slowly realising that something was afoot: rumors began to fly that the entire computer system was crumbling, and communication was slowly dwindling between the various areas as they went offline. People were scrambling, trying to find a way out, and realising that the elevators and emergency exits, both serviced by the compound's mainframe, were unresponsive. The Sparrow and her two shadows passed a few such people, who avoided them very carefully, sticking to the wall in hopes of going unnoticed. The trained killer paid them no mind, deeming them unworthy of what little time she had left.

The organisation's remaining military had sprung into action as well, determined to bring the situation under control. When the trio rounded one corner to access the stairs that would lead them up, they were accosted by seven armored and armed men, who shamelessly pointed their automatic weapons their way.

"Sparrow! Halt!" The one closest to them cried out from behind his mask, raising a powerful hand.

The young woman did not skip a single beat, swinging her gun around with ludicrous speed and dexterity, before either Bucky or Steve had time to react. Seven shots resounded like thunder in the confined space, filling their ears with the sound of buzzing bees, and seven armed men dropped dead, each from a bullet between the eyes. Steve froze unwittingly at this sudden turn of events, having barely registered the speed and efficiency at which the woman had moved. He stared, jaw lax, at the carnage which had appeared before them in the blink of an eye.

She glanced back at him with a face that showed she was unsurprised at his reaction.

"Come on. We have to hurry."

Her words, dimmed by the ringing in his ears, served nonetheless to snap him out of his shock. He followed them both. Growing unease twisted at him as they entered the staircase and made their way up two steps at a time.

What had he walked himself into?

They emerged a few floors higher into an identical corridor. They turned right and followed the linear path, which was somehow completely devoid of activity. The eerie quiet was putting Steve on edge, who half-expected the doors along the passage to suddenly burst open and let out a stream of enraged HYDRA agents.

No such thing happened, but then they turned a final corner, they found themselves in a long stretch of white corridor, in the centre of which two stoic soldiers stood guard before a door.

As they slowed and neared the pair, they drew their attention.

Steve recognized them as two of the four Winter Soldiers that had been on the plane with them when they'd left Wakanda. He did not quite remember their names, but one of them was the only woman of the group and the other, the hard-headed man that had expressed open disobedience towards the Sparrow. They slowly moved away from their post next to the large doors and faced the group, their hard faces oddly void of emotion.

Steve recognized that look… it was the same look Bucky had worn when he'd been activated by Zemo.

"Deva. James." The Sparrow sighed lengthily as she too slowed and stopped a few yards from the pair. Bucky walked up next to her, his stormy eyes trained upon the two other soldiers, and Steve joined his side carefully. "It seems that someone actually did suspect what I'd do today… or he would not have stationed you here. Unfortunately for him, I brought help."

"What are you…" Steve started, but she threw him a hard glance.

"Stay back if you will, but if they kill us, they'll go after you, too."

Steve found he had no desire to stay back. It was not just because his own friend, controlled or not, was putting his life on the line by facing the soldiers… he realised that he had no desire to abandon the young woman he'd once known as Lianka. His hands curled into fists and he stared at the pair before them, both of which were beginning to glow slightly, heat rolling off their forms and stifling the passage.

The Sparrow raised her fists, lava-like heat rolling from her clenching fingers.

Bucky slid one foot back cautiously, lowering his body in anticipation.

It was James who moved first.

His lips pulled over his teeth in a murderous snarl, but he remained soundless. Beside him, quick as lightening, Deva leapt forth and charged without hesitation at Steve. James was just behind her, clashing with the Sparrow with renewed rage,

She blocked his first blow, but did not manage to move quickly enough out of the way of the second one. His fist connected with astounding force with the side of her face and sent her reeling back.

Bucky stepped in, his vibranium arm connecting perfectly with the other soldier's punch as he turned to face him. Metal met with augmented flesh and sent the latter splintering, shattering the soldier's arm in seven different places. James reeled back with a howl of fury, which gave the Sparrow the time she needed to regain her footing.

Driven with purpose, she slipped past the howling soldier and kicked his knee. The satisfying crunch she heard told her she had struck true. Beside her, Steve barely managed to avoid Deva's fiery fists as she threatened to sear the flesh from his arms.

James' arm and leg were glowing unearthly, healing him with unprecedented speed. He was already rising and deviating Buck's ferocious blow. The Sparrow kicked at him anew and landed a weak blow, but she had to use her momentum to spin around Steve and smack Deva hard across the face to push her back, saving the blonde captain in the nick of time.

She faced the deadly, fiery woman and allowed her own hands to flare up menacingly. Deva said nothing and her eyes remained void… it was with a pang of sadness that the Sparrow realised this woman, who she'd come to appreciate over the years, was going to die a complete stranger to her. HYDRA had erased her for the last time, doing a particularly good job of it, this time around.

Yet she did not hesitate. Behind her, Bucky and Steve were somehow handling James.

She focused her attention on Deva as she launched herself forth.

The smaller woman was a bit faster, and rained blows with incalculable fury. The Sparrow dodged and blocked everything sent her way, in no manner bothered by the volcanic heat of the fists that hit her flesh. Her own body was flaring up, healing her without delay as she snarled at her opponent, dancing around the vicious blows.

Deva snapped her fist at the side of her face, but she blocked it. A retaliating blow caught her weakly in the flank, but the Sparrow managed to reach out an unyielding hand, grabbing Deva's burning forearm and yanking her forward. The Sparrow's knee jumped up and caught the other woman right in the fold of her stomach, crushing the air from her lungs with a hollow, thick sound. Her palm had already curled upward and snagged Deva squarely in the nose, breaking it with a wet crack. The wounded soldier reeled as she spit out blood, momentarily off balance, her face flaring red as she tried to heal her wound.

The Sparrow slipped one foot behind Deva's heel and pushed into the stumbling fighter, effectively forcing her to completely lose her footing. They went sailing backward and the Sparrow seized Deva's forehead with a single hand, using their momentum to carry her effortlessly into the cement wall behind them.

She howled as she slammed Deva's head against the concrete, her body's weight riding into the blow. The other fighter let out a muffled, chocked gasp and tried to free herself clumsily, but the Sparrow had already pulled her head forward and was slamming it into the wall a second time, wincing internally at the wet, crunching sound Deva's skull made on impact.

The third time the soldier's head connected with the concrete, her eyes seemed to become strangely unfocused. They fell upon the Sparrow who loomed over her with a mask of agonizing determination painted onto her face. For just the briefest, loneliest second, Deva's eyes seemed to light up in sudden recognition, as a thousand emotions flashed within their depths.

But then, the Sparrow was guiding her head back against the wall with renewed energy, and upon the fourth impact, Deva's eyes lost their sheen as they glazed over in death.

No amount of the AIM gene could heal the splattered brain she left behind her on the white wall as she slid to the ground gracelessly.

Fighting against a feeling not unlike revulsion, the Sparrow immediately turned her attention back to James and her two soldiers.

Steve had sustained a burn trying to hold James in place, and Bucky was reeling back his vibranium fists to rain another blow at the augmented soldier's face, which was already severely abused. He was glowing red, trying to heal, but the metal that collected with his features was causing too much destruction.

The Sparrow's eyes widened in sudden realisation as she saw James' very core start slowly reddening, the flesh around his joints glowing with increasing vehemence. Steve was too focused to notice a thing, holding James in a headlock, and Bucky could not take his eyes away from the soldier's face as he carefully timed his punches.

She understood that she had but seconds to act.

Feeling power rush to her arms as she launched herself forward, she caught Steve's eye.

"_Move!_"

Her voice left no room for negotiation. The soldier obeyed her without thought, coming to the sudden realisation that he still trusted her… even after all that had happened… he was ready to listen to her without thinking… Steve jumped towards the large door that the two Winter Soldiers had been guarding, pulling Bucky along with him.

As he did, the Sparrow reached them. Howling, she thrust both her blazing hands forward, barely aware of what she was doing, acting on nothing more than instinct. James' butchered face showed but the shadow of panic… she ignored it altogether and plunged her blazing arms, palms open, against his chest with every inch of strength she could muster.

The blow was colossal, and the power of it saved their lives. Impacted, James went flying back like a rag doll, crossing nearly a dozen yards before tumbling onward through the corridor, steadily glowing more and more red as he went.

Finally catching on, Bucky ripped open the door they all stood before and pulled Steve along into the room, as Steve grabbed the Sparrow by an arm. She barely managed to pull close the door behind them that the walls shook from the astounding explosion that resulted from James' condition. Dust rained from the ceiling and around them, the light flickered as, somewhere in the distance, alarms were going off.

The Sparrow picked herself off the floor slowly, coughing, a renewed ringing sound filling her ears. Smoke and heat were creeping in through the cracks around the door they'd shut seconds ago. Kneeling beside her, Steve glanced her way. He made no move to help her up, but watched her carefully as she rose alongside him.

Bucky, visibly undamaged, stood as well, carefully taking in his surroundings.

Steve finally broke eye contact with the young woman, a bit alarmed by the emotion he could find in her sky-blue irises… alarmed, too, at the emotions that awoke in his own chest as she stared at him.

They were in a large, white room not unlike the infirmary he'd occupied these past few days. There was a bed against the far wall and though he initially thought it was empty, he could barely make out a small, frail form lost amidst the heavy blankets. A variety of machines seemed to be linked to that form, sending tubes and wiring to vanish beneath the covers. A slightly uneven beeping revealed to him that whomever lay in the bed was still alive… and increasingly agitated.

He heard the Sparrow sigh.

"Wait here." She whispered gently as she strode forward towards the bed.

Steve glanced at Bucky, who did not return the gesture, staring instead coolly at whomever lay beneath those blankets.

The Sparrow reached the bedside, her mouth twisting into a tiny, disgusted grimace. Her own glacier stare found that of the tiny, frail man bundled beneath the covers. His eyes, unsullied by the unforgiving hands of time, showed a complex mix of fury, betrayal and contempt. She stared at this being for a moment, before seizing the blankets atop him and ripping them right off the bed, exposing the Supreme Hydra to the cool room's air.

Steve found himself gazing at this knotted, barely living shell of a human, who possessed not even the strength to curl upon himself to avoid the sudden discomfort of being exposed. He wore a mask that allowed him to breath, keeping him alive but preventing him to utter a single word.

"You saw through me. Bravo, I guess. Though, if anyone ever knew me well enough to do that, I suppose it was you." The Sparrow said in a low, careful tone that was just so slightly laced with sadness. "You didn't see far enough though, did you? You thought your soldiers could stop me. You forgot I wasn't alone." She glanced at Steve as the man in the bed shivered and grumbled into his throat.

"Steve, this is the Supreme Hydra. The leader of Hydra. He's the last head." She explained softly. Steve glanced from Bucky, to her, to the tiny, ageless man. "He and I go way back. Back to your time, actually. He was the one who recruited me into Hydra, into Sparrow school, when my parents died…"

Her hard gaze fell upon the man with unspoken fury. "Or, I should say… when he had my parents killed. Like he did to countless children, all with the goal to recruit them and turn them into soldiers for the Motherland." She sneered. "You thought I wouldn't find out, did you, you lying _meshok der'ma_… but I did. I found out about how you had all those children made into orphans… because what could be a better soldier than a babe raised into ruthlessness and death? Yet they all died… all of them but me."

Her eyes returned to Steve and Bucky.

"I blame no one for who I am. I make no one responsible for my actions other than myself. But I was made into a weapon without a choice. I was not broken and rebuilt, shattered and constructed as the Winter Soldiers were… no, I was molded. Day by day, night after night. I was formed into the Black Sparrow. But my life…" She hissed those words out like an angry cat. "My life was taken from me. My choices were robbed from me. I was made a killer. Then, I was pumped full of a serum against my will, all in the name of making me stronger, faster… in truth, all the serum did was extend my life so I could be a slave even longer."

She ran a hard, menacing hand over one of the machines that was keeping the Supreme alive. The tiny man followed her gestured with wide eyes, terror finally shining bright within them.

"Then, the AIM gene. The messed up, exploding AIM gene. I had no possibility of escaping. I was a ticking time bomb. After that, there was no more hope. No more anything for me. Until… until, after ages spent wasting away in cryosleep, rumor surfaced that the gene could be stabilized thanks to technology from a very well-hidden country…"

Steve understood. This made things clearer for him… he still felt conflicted about everything that had happened, but the Sparrow's explanation shed some much needed light on what had transpired these last few weeks. He glanced to Bucky, but his friend was, of course, still bound by codes that held him stoic and without emotion.

She was watching Bucky too, her eyes almost… tender.

"I'd met Bucky before… you don't know that, and he probably doesn't remember, but he and I worked together some sixty years ago. Back then, when the Supreme was still just a lackey with over-achieving dreams and ambitions, and I was his right hand, he had a secret set of codes worked into Bucky. It was a contingency plan. In case he and I found ourselves in the line of sight of the other ambitions lackeys that vied for the position of leader.

"As such… only two people in the world know the activation and deactivation codes that can subdue the Winter Soldier."

The Sparrow turned her unforgiving eyes down to the Supreme, who seemed to shrink into the mattress. He read the cold, hard fury and hatred that shone in her gaze and found that he had no doubt about her immediate actions.

Before Steve could so much as raise an eyebrow, she seized the facial mask that was pumping the frail man's air into his withered lungs and yanked it harshly away, ripping it free. Steve bit down on his own tongue, forcing himself to stay put. Besides, what would he have done? Saved the terrible organisations' leader's life? He found felt as much contempt for the man as she did…

The Sparrow watched the whimpering, trembling Hydra leader die without uttering a single sound. She watched him shake and struggle to breath, his face growing steadier into a deep blue shade as spit and dribble flew from his lax, soft mouth, trickling down his leathery features.

Within two minutes that seemed to last a lifetime, the ancient thing that had clung to life amidst those white sheets passed from this world, a final, heavy sigh escaping it like the flutter of a bird's wings.

She looked up.

"A single person in the world knows the activation and deactivation codes that can subdue the Winter Soldier." The Sparrow said, her voice somehow both hard and soft. She stared at Steve pointedly, watching Bucky too. "I am going to leave this room, then this compound, one way or another. There are two Winter Soldiers out there and they must be stopped. I will find them and eliminate them myself. By now, the compound's computer system had been completely destroyed. The people still in here are trapped for the time being, and they will face judgment in time. If I'm not mistaken, your friend from Wakanda must be minutes away by now."

This, at last, surprised Steve, who frowned carefully.

She nodded. "I sent out a timed beacon to them, giving them this location. I'll let them decide what they want to do with the remaining Hydra employees. Now…" She faced both men and squared her shoulders. "You can either let me pass, or fight me. If you elect to fight me, I will be honest with you: I won't hold back. I did not just spend years scheming and planning to regain the life that has been taken from me, just to lay down and comply. Chances are that some of us won't leave this room alive."

With that, she turned her face to Bucky.

"I hope you can one day forgive me for what I have done. _Chernyy vorobey bol'she ne mozhet letat' ryadom so svoim krasnym volkom_."

The air rushed out of Bucky's lungs with a whoosh as he crumbled, emotion returning to his face all at once. Steve jumped sideways, alarmed, and managed to seize his friend around the waist quickly enough to steady him. The burly soldier took a moment to breath, leaning on his friend, his stormy eyes fixed upon the young woman, who was watching them both carefully.

When she saw that Bucky could at last stand on his own two feet, the vertigo of regaining control finally washing off of him, and that Steve was slowly facing her again, she took a tentative step forward.

Both men watched her come with some apprehension and she found her gaze flying from one to the other, discovering a myriad of great emotions in both stormy and icy gaze, few of which she was sure she understood. There was only a few feet of space between both hulking soldiers, but the Sparrow made for it in small, unsure steps, swallowing imperceptibly as she reached them.

Bucky's hands twitched as he fought the urge to grab her as she passed between them. Steve's jaw clenched as he too struggled with a similar desire. Neither knew what they would do if they did seize her, but them both knew that they wanted to… no matter what had happened, what she'd done… they somehow did not want her to leave. Perhaps they could never look at her as they had when she was Lianka, but both felt that they wanted to get to know this new, not-Lianka as much as they'd gotten to know the old one…

"Wait…" Bucky growled, his voice rough from lack of use. His words froze her at the door and he cleared his throat as she glanced back at them. They were pleasantly surprised to find a similar sort of complicit conflict painted upon her face. "You… what _is_ your name? Since you're not Lianka… and you're not the Black Sparrow anymore…"

She glanced down and smiled sadly. "I don't know." Steve wondered if it was really wetness he could see shining in her eyes, or if it was a trick of the light. "I was taken by Hydra when I was three. I was never told my name and I was never given one." She shrugged as if it didn't bother her.

"Well…" Steve gave her a tiny, soft smile. "Maybe next time we see you, you'll have picked one out for yourself."

She returned the smile, coy and amused.

"Maybe."

With that and nothing else, the young woman opened the door leading to the corridor and was gone into the dusty smoke beyond.

Steve and Bucky waited patiently in the room with the Supreme Hydra's slowly cooling body. They listened carefully for the impeding sound of Wakanda's arrival. It was not long before they patience was rewarded: beyond the ajar door, Wakandan soldiers came storming, led by none other than the king himself, decked out in his menacing Black Panther attire.

Steve and Bucky had not said a single thing as they waited. Both knew that there would be plenty to talk about for the remainder of the day, as they filled in T'challa about everything that had transpired these past few days, about who this tiny, withered man in the bed beside them was, about Hydra's terrible plans…

And about how the Black Sparrow had vanished without a trace, escaping their grasp, leaving the organisation in shambles.

Likewise, they would learn from the king that the area was secured, that the remaining Hydra personnel would be dealt with accordingly, and that the entire computer system, housing Wakanda's stolen data and Hydra's research, had been irrevocably destroyed.

Also, they would learn about how the Black Sparrow was neither spotted nor captured, and that a worldwide alert would be delivered to exterior agents to have them on high alert in case the young woman decided to strike at Wakandan spies once again.

Yet, Steve and Bucky were not worried.

They knew she had other goals to pursue.

(0)

Well, here we are my friends! The end. I hope the story and intrigue was to your liking.

As always, leave a review to tell me what you think. I check them very often and read every single one!

I don't know yet if I'll undertake another story soon, or if I'll take a little break to focus on other things. I guess that inspiration will be the judge, jury and executioner on that one!

Thank you for riding along with me on this crazy adventure. It's always a pleasure to complete something, though it is bittersweet when you reach the end.

I hope to see you all again soon!


End file.
